


The Dragon Contract

by SylvaneDaScribe



Series: RajTale [1]
Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Adventure, Gen, Psychological Horror, Slow Build, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-25
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-04-08 02:59:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 65,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14095638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SylvaneDaScribe/pseuds/SylvaneDaScribe
Summary: The story begins. As we meet our friend, Raj-Ei, he is feeling his way through a peculiar assignment, and coming to terms with the grim realities of it. Meanwhile, Jei finds himself all alone, save a brand new friend with a lot of blood on their hands. This is the first chapter of Dragon Contract, and I hope you appreciate it. The next two chapters will be posted on April 2nd.





	1. Fort Dunstad

-Raj-Ei-

   Quaint town, Raj thought as he walked off the gangplank of his ship.

   He strolled lazily onto the pier, his bag slung over his back as his wandering eyes surveyed the banks of Dawnstar. The little village was based in a small inlet on the vast northern ocean, tiering upwards from the tiny coastal houses in one layer up to two mines, the inn, and the Jarl's palace on the top. It looked haggard and worn, battered by the icy fists of late Winter. However, the chatter and the people remained the same, and the warm crowds moved about their lives as if the scars of their location didn't show. Each house had smoke billowing from the top smoke stack, with fires like beating hearts as the citizens cooked, cleaned, or worked the day away. Dawnstar stood proud in spite of the elements.

   Mountains walled in the inlet, like jagged teeth in the mouth of a bear. Atop one stood a tall tower, perhaps a temple, perhaps a fort, long abandoned. It loomed like a sentinel over the ruckus of work and wit below, as ships came day in and day out. A busy port town grew around the harshest climate, walled in by rough mountains and clothed in thick pines. Lazy flakes of snow fell from the sky.

   Raj caught a whiff of fresh bread being made in the air, a soft smell cutting through the acrid sting of salt water and smoke that clung to the piers. The bitter cold threatened to seep into Raj's steel armor, and he lifted his hood to keep the top of his head warm.

   As Raj walked on the pier, deckhands unloaded and loaded cargo, ranging from spices to expensive furs and salted meats. Guards inspected ships and sailors, chatting up the local work while the clang of pickaxes rung in the background. Everyone seemed to know one another, or at least have something to talk about. The EETC must have run routine routes here despite the Jarl's hatred of the Empire. It would seem mirthful and happy, if it didn't take up all of the space on the pier walking back to the land, blocking Raj from the dry land he so gravely needed. He already wasn't in a very good mood as it was.

   It had been one hell of a week. A few days before, he had worked for a mage collective known as the Synod, based in Cyrodiil. He enjoyed hours upon hours of study, rest, and seclusion to perfect his craft, the unusual art of manipulating the physical world around him known as the Alteration School of magic. But time had come to see what the studying had led to, and it wasn't finished. Catastrophic things ensued. Those impatient Imperials, he cursed to himself. Now, he was being sent out to follow up on his incomplete research. He couldn't return until he had everything. It was, in essence, exile.

   He was pulled from thought by a guard who somehow found his way through the crowd. He was wearing the usual cuirass and standard nordic greaves and boots, with the dome-shaped helmet characteristic for guards in Skyrim. His shield had the crest of the city painted on it masterfully, but the perfect picture was marred by a huge cut on the left face. Nonetheless, he looked like glittering gold to Raj. He could get to dry land without having to punch someone.

   "You are the study I've heard about?" The guard asked, his voice echoing in the unfortunately designed helmet.

   "Yes, I am." Raj replied with a rather tired brass. "I assume you are my escort?"

   "I am Nuin. I was given orders by the Jarl to escort you to his palace." He beckoned onward down the dock, and Raj followed. "He's currently travelling, but left someone behind to assist you."

   Raj slumped a bit. He wasn't even going to get a real audience with the Jarl. The Jarl wasn’t even _here_. So far, so good, he thought sarcastically, a grimace growing on his face. "Does he have any information for me, then?" Raj mused, paying attention to how the man moved and how his voice sounded. He seemed apathetic, as if this was just another errand to run. It was hard to read someones face through a mask, but Nuin seemed indifferent to the conversation.

   "Not that I know of, I was just told to pick you up." The guard said in an off-handed tone. "Your research topic is rather... unprecedented. I wouldn't hope too much so early on."

   "It's not like I'm being helped much, either." Raj muttered, too quietly for the guard to hear in his horribly shaped helmet. "But think of the scientific implications alone." He said, louder this time. They walked down a set of icy steps onto the crunchy dirt and snow. They started to another flight of wooden steps, heading to the top layer of the town.

   "Never gave it much thought. They're pests to us guards at best, they mangle the economy, harass the villages, and make the roads unsafe. At worst, they're a terror."

   "But they're also ancient and powerful." Raj said. "Just one of them must remember periods of time untouched by written history." As they walked, rows of red berry bushes cropped up on both sides of the road, and Raj resisted the urge to take a bite. He hadn't realized how hungry he was, being on that boat for so long.

   "I suppose. If you're going to be visiting for a while, though, I'd suggest you visit Whiterun to the south. You may find some answers there, and if not, the shops are incredible." The guard said.

   "Of course. I look forward to seeing all of Skyrim." Raj said. He could've made it sound more convincing.

   Just ahead, a huge Nordic longhouse stood in the snow. It looked newer than all of the other buildings, as if it had been renovated several times by hands richer than the rest. The thresh roof was thick and sloped sharply, clumps of snow falling from it in thick rows. On either side of the entrance, banners whipped in the wind, bearing the scars that the building didn't suggest in the slightest. Obviously the Jarl's palace.

   The guard took Raj to the steps and beckoned him forth. He took the door handle and walked in. A wash of warmth hit him in the face, along with the smell of cooked meat and flowers.

   It was what seemed to be a fairly standard Nordic longhouse. The floor was polished stone that looked well cared for and clean. Most of the interior was made entirely of wood, with a layer of windows up halfway from the top of the high set roof. Two stone hearths stood in the midground of the main room, peacefully lulling the room with warmth and dancing light. The walls were adorned with various hunting trophies, the snarling heads of vicious wolves, the gigantic bodies of huge slaughterfish, salmon, and other magnificent trophy fish. The walls were illuminated with goat horn torch sconces, spanning the hall all the way to the end, where, under two banners bearing the crest of Dawnstar, the Jarl's throne sat.

   It was empty. Beside it was a woman, clothed in royal blue robes, a cold look on her face. She was almost as tall as Raj, he thought as he walked forwards, and despite the stereotype of a mage, she seemed to have some muscle to her body. She was a Breton, and the court wizard. Raj wracked his brains to remember which wizard was in which court.

   All the while, the woman regarded Raj with a look of curiosity. Twice, her mouth opened as if she was going to say something, but she couldn't find the words. Finally, she found the sentence she was looking for.

   "You don’t look like a Synod mage." She said almost coldly. Her voice didn't match her face, soft as it could be with her withering tone. It made her seem younger than the wrinkles that lined her face let on.

   "I assure you, I am." He replied, pulling his hood back. The feathery blue mohawk on the top of his head stood back up to its full height. "You are Madena."

 

   She didn’t answer, electing instead to turn and walk off. She seemed to limp slightly on her left leg, but her strides were strong and determined. Raj fought the urge to roll his eyes and followed. Was everyone in Skyrim this dismissive?

   Raj followed her into a small room, annex to the main longhouse. It was covered in what looked like brand new bookshelves. A small alchemy set up was in the corner of the room on a table, and above it was a shelf of several small, labeled potions. The room smelled like sulphur and cinnamon, as if Madena was trying to mask the smell with whatever she could find. There were jagged gashes on the floor where furniture had been moved, recently too. Someone had just moved out of this room.

   She reached for a book on one of her shelves and opened it up. She let go and it floated lazily in the air, following her as she walked to another bookshelf.

   "When I heard about your research, I'll admit, I was a bit put off. Of all the uses I've considered for dragons, I never thought of that."

   Finally, some conversation around here.

   "I consider it a first step in the right direction. Dragon claws are as sharp as razors and can slice through iron, steel, even Dwarven metal, if you're lucky enough to procure it. Dragon breath is hotter than any forge. The only way we can study dragons up close is-

   "By putting on their skin." Madena agreed with a nod. She was less focused on her books now, three or four of them floating in the air around her, and more focused on Raj. Her stare was cold and judging, but there was a certain light in her eye. She looked like a queen, chin high and eyes lowered to look at Raj, trying to decide whether or not he was worthy of her favor.

   "But as you know, dragon skin is incredibly hard to come by and becomes brittle if it's not refined properly. And armor can be made, but it will only be clothing, like a small outer shell protecting the easily accessed insides."

   "So you want to study and categorize the properties of dragon skin and learn how to alter your skin to act like it." Madena said, a faint smile flickering at the edges of her mouth. Raj couldn’t tell if that was a good or bad thing.

   "Not only would this let mages get close enough to dragons to study them, but it would be a way to protect people on the roads. Imagine, a simple spell that makes your skin impervious as long as you can hold it up, in a world where the roads are filled with horrors."

   There was silence after these words. Madena’s smile lingered, seeming to grow at the edges. If it got any wider, Raj might see her teeth.

   "You’re different than the Synod usually sends to Skyrim." She noted. "Not obsessed with power or artifacts you don’t understand, not chasing the tail of some horrible warlock with a bad reputation. You actually want to help people."

   "I’m not sure what you mean." Raj said, a small hesitation in his voice. Madena rolled her eyes and started grabbing the books floating around her, arranging them and tying them together with a thick cord.

   "It’s almost yearly that I get a Synod mage here, snooping in matters they don’t understand. First, it was the Staff of Magnus, then the Gauldur Amulet, and on and on…" She held the books in her hands now, still close to her chest. Raj hadn’t earned the information yet.

   "You’d figure after the tenth mage dies in the gods-forsaken snow, they might learn something. And then suddenly, the mages stop. Maybe they did learn not to send these people to their deaths, but then you come along."

   Madena’s smile had taken on a different light at this point. It wasn’t the warm, interested grin he had seen before, but a sort of smug and knowing look. Piece by piece, Raj began to understand what she was saying.

   "Why are you here?" She asked.

   Raj grimaced. There was a damn good reason why. He wasn't supposed to succeed in this mission. Madena’s grin deepened more with every second of silence. The sword on Raj's back felt cold all of the sudden, even in the warm embrace of the fires nearby. He had to say something.

   "I don't think they believe my research will work." He forced out word by word, slowly and with an edge of calculation. It was almost a lie, but the truth wasn't pleasant, or necessary. Madena nodded.

   "If you'll pardon me for saying, the Synod is full of cowards who only stockpile weapons for the rich. I assume this whole suicide mission comes with reason?"

   "I didn’t come from Anvil to High Rock to here, a 4 day journey, to explain myself or the actions of the Synod.” Raj almost barked.

   “Yes, I presume you are here to die.” Madena agreed with a nod of her head.

   Raj said nothing. He was torn too hard between anger and understanding to form a polite sentence. Madena’s smile all but demoralized him.

   "You have a chance here to do some good in the world and really help lots of people, with little to no benefit to yourself." Madena continued. "Why would a Synod mage do that, is my question?"

   Raj's face eased. This answer was more natural.

   "The Synod is full of hypocrisy, but all I've ever wanted was to help people. I will succeed here, and return to the Synod with an easy, cheap spell for all those who need protection. If they don't take it, or try to twist it for their ends, I'll sell it by myself, cheap and accessible."

   Madena’s smile grew impressed. She held the books out to him, her new, jovial expression in stark contrast with Raj’s bitter scowl. He had given the right answer, it seems.

   "You are at a disadvantage, but I've done what I can to help. I've already sent word to the College of Winterhold of your arrival and your studies."

   Raj was taken back. His face shifted from a bitter look to one of surprised gratitude. "Thank you." Was all he could muster as his heart lifted and his mood arose with it.

   As he took the books, he started to smile a bit, but then she flicked her hand, and an additional piece of paper flew from a bookshelf over to her. "There is one last thing, however. The Jarl has asked that I give you this bounty to have it fulfilled."

   "Oh." Raj said, equal parts surprised and annoyed. "What is it?"

   Madena waved her hand. "Just a bandit group off in an abandoned fort. They've been trying to run skooma in and out of the city, but have been unsuccessful in bribing the guards, for now." She saw the disappointed look on Raj's face. "I apologize. The Jarl is very old fashioned, and only agreed to letting me assess you if he sent you on a quest first."

   "I guess it's alright. Nothing I can't handle." Raj said with a shrug.

   "I'm sure you'll do fine." Madena said, and it did kinda instill some confidence in Raj. "Take care on your way to Fort Dunstad. And good luck not dying.”

 

-Jei-

   The bitter snow clung to every surface it could touch, including the back of Jei's threadbare blanket. The crack in the stone tower wall was just small enough to let the bone chilling wind in, basically freezing him to his sleeping bag. And it would only get worse as the night went.

   He had been with these bandits here for six weeks now. They were hoping to run skooma in and out of Dawnstar, but they had met some resistance bribing the city guards. Jei hadn't been part of that, though. Instead, he'd been tasked with helping clean armor, running food to the chief, and watching from the walls for any intruders. It was boring, and usually dissolved into him being called names and hit.

   Jei hated it, he thought as he stewed angrily in his sleeping bag. He heard the snores of the other two bandits nearby and cursed their names under his breath. Well, he never did memorize their names, but he pretended he did. He didn't want to stay. He might just run away like Brunner did, but he was a little worried that the rest of the group would track him down.

   And then there was Brunner himself.

   Brunner was Jei's brother, adopted, but still genuine. Brunner had joined the bandit group with Jei. They did so much together, and even decided to run away from home together. And all that did was end them up here, Jei thought to himself. Stuck in a brick walled hole. They could've ran away to an orphanage, or an honor clan, or they could've become travelling musicians or something. But no, they decided to become bandits. In Jei's own defense, it was Brunner's idea.

   And then he left, just a few weeks ago. Brunner packed up to go hunting for the group, and he never came back. Word was that he ran and joined another bandit  group, or that he died. Guil even speculated that he was a vampire or something, but Guil hadn't been right since that infected skeever bite. Maybe it was a vampire skeever, and he was the vampire. The thought was amusing, but not amusing enough.

   He let out a soft groan that echoed up the stony walls of the tower. No one would hear him, and no one would care. He might groan a bit louder, just to inconvenience the people around him, but honestly, he was shivering cold as it was, and didn't want to be kicked out of the tower and into the snow. Again.

   Night had fallen only moments before. The sun never stayed up for as long here as it did in Cyrodiil. Jei cursed under his breath. He was beginning to long for that damned place in this goddamned snow and the goddamned conditions he'd thrown himself into. Everytime the wind blew and he felt chills up his scales, Jei longed for the mellow warmth of Anvil and the bright lights and happy folk. Every time he heard the roar of a dragon, he missed the purring of a cat. It's almost as if running away from home was a bad idea. Who would've thought?

   Jei stood up silently and stretched. His tail wrapped around his right leg instinctively to keep him warm; his fur pants were very torn there. He wanted some food and the guards to the cellar would be asleep by now, so he could steal some. Maybe some mead too, to warm his frosted scales.

   He walked like a ghost out of the tower door and into the whipping winds.

   Fort Dunstad lay rotting like a corpse on the snowy fields, just itching for an infestation of maggots. Or bandits. Evidence of their meddling had already taken its toll on the ragged carcass of the already weathered fort. Several piles of crumbled brick and wood stood in the main courtyard, where the band had haphazardly cleaned out the interior and tossed out the stone decay as if it was dirt. Arrows stuck rusted and broken in the stones of the far wall, where whatever band of drunken bastards had taken to their bows to prove who could kill stone better. Off in the distance, the rotting bones of game animals killed for food gave off a sickening smell, attracting flies and boars and wolves and that huge skeever they had killed the other day. They ate that too.

   Jei walked along the wall slowly, the cold winds making him shiver, but his eyes were busy with the sky above. Of all the things Jei missed from Cyrodiil, the night's sky was not one of them. The bland stars-on-dark-skies atmosphere of Anvil was a drop in the pond to the swirling stars and coloured winds that wove through the skies like spirits. It was pure light, in opalescent beams, shining down on the earth like green fire, purple stars, and blue lightning bolts. Every colour was so charged and beautiful, Jei could hardly describe them. With skies like these, Jei understood why Nords believed so strongly in their gods.

   Jei finished his walk to the other side of the wall slowly, with a chill in his step. He probably shouldn’t have been looking up, but who could blame him? Nevertheless, as he opened the door to the stone tower, just opposite the wall from where he had been sleeping, a rush of warmth seeped into his bones. The warm crackle of a fire caught Jei’s ears, as well as the snoring of two bandits, off on the far wall. The third, however, was wide awake.

   Jader, a tall blond Nord with jumbled braids and a face like stone, watching the fire unblinkingly. Now there was someone Jei could talk to. Jader was a fairly nice and understanding guy, much better than the other people he had surrounding him. There had been many a time when Jader had taught Jei something or helped him with something out of only the kindness of his heart. They were friends.  Jei silently fell in beside him, leaning on the crumbling wall. Jader gave a little chuckle, regarding Jei warmly.

   “You’re up far too early. Not able to get any sleep?” He asked, his voice as warm as the fire.

   “It’s too damn cold everywhere.” Jei lamented softly, a little shiver in his words. “That blanket does absolutely nothing but freeze.”

   Jader nodded and held his arms out to the fire. His iron bracers seemed polished and new. It was pretty striking to see such care on a bandit’s armor. Jei should know, he usually cleaned that sort of thing.

   There was silence between the two, as they relished in the warmth radiating from the fire. Jei felt at ease, but a voice tugged at the back of his head. A question hung on his lips, but he was afraid he knew the answer before he even got the courage to ask it.

   "A... Any word of Brunner yet?" He almost squeaked.

    Jader shook his head, chuckling softly. "Your brothers not been back yet. Probably for the best too. Captain Hal has been very vocal of his disapproval of the leavers." Jader turned his face to Jei's and smiled softly. "Remember Marv and Aurelius?"

    Jei nodded. They had run off after Brunner had left, two strange men, probably on some get rich quick scheme. Someone had mentioned they had their eyes on Windhelm. If the dolts even could make it that far.

   "It's just that it's been two weeks." Jei almost breathed, an edge of fear creeping into his voice. He felt his eyes start to water, and he made an effort to stop it. He had cried enough about the issue.

   "Your brother's fine, and I'm sure he'll sort things out when he comes back. He can always offer up some stolen weapon, I'm sure Hal would love it."

   Jei sighed mournfully, and Jader reached his arm over the boy's shoulder, pulling him closer to his chest. It felt much warmer and more comfortable to be close to Jader. It was as if all of Jei’s problems shrunk ever so slightly, making the world all the more bearable. Jei would look up to see Jader, staring mournfully at the fire, his eyes saying prayers his lips couldn’t utter from weakness of the heart. Jader’s was a sad tale.

   Jei hadn't noticed until a few weeks ago, and he didn't understand why at the time. He had heard that Jader's family had died in a fire one night when he was coming home from hunting, and that it left him ruined. He drifted around, drinking himself happy until he couldn't pay, then signed on here. He always had a sort of sadness in his eyes, but was far rowdier and far stronger than the rest in the right circumstances. Jei spied under his right eye, where there was a small tattoo, a deep red crescent, pointing downwards to his cheek. A reminder of his family. He had always said he would see them again in Sovngarde.

   Jader blinked and shifted himself straight on the wall. Jei caught a sight of his hair, which seemed more well groomed than usual, as if he had actually taken a comb to it. Jader must have known he’d notice, because he cleared his throat as if to tell him something.

   “I’m going away, Jei.” Jader said softly. “This has all been a nightmare I thought I would one day wake up from. I never realized that I had to be the one to wake myself up from it.”

   Jei was startled by the words, and an edge of sadness crept into the corners of his eyes. Another person was just going to leave him like this? Jei opened his mouth to protest, but Jader sighed.

   “I know you’ll want me to stay. I can’t blame you for that, but I can’t stay here any longer.”

   “Jader, ple-”

   “I’ve had enough, Jei.” Jader insisted, forcefully. He hung his head into his hands for a second, breathing deeply. Jei felt his brain forming sentences, arguments, anything he could say or do to keep his last friend with him, no matter what. But as the man before him sagged slightly in the wake of his announcement, Jei recognized the shudder of regret and sadness. This had been weighing on Jader for a long time. Jei kept his mouth shut and listened.

   “Jei, I will never forget them.” Jader said, his voice airing on the edge of breaking. “I will never be able to run far enough that they can’t find me. I thought I could drink them away and all it did was ruin me. I thought if I ran far enough from my smoldering homestead, I could have their spirits leave my mind and I would be at peace. I thought if I could just be free, I would get better.”

   Jader stood up, eyes misty, but his face a determined expression.

   “I’m leaving now to make a change I should have years ago. I’m going to stop running from my problems and I’m going to deal with them as they come. I can’t do that here.”

   Jei watched him in hesitation. His heart felt weak, but he knew he couldn’t stop this, and a part of him knew he didn’t want to. He closed his eyes and inhaled, nodding his head.

   “I’m going to miss you.” He said, his voice small and sad.

   “You’ll make your way from here on your own, Jei. You’re smart, you won’t live the rest of your life a bandit.”

   Jader walked slowly to the door, so suddenly, Jei felt his heart hitch. He was leaving now. Jei followed. They left the comfort of the fire, dwindling as it was, and walked back onto the decaying stone wall, which overlooked the snow and the trees, which swayed like an angry black mass in the desperate winds. Jei felt a cold tear stream down his cheek, but wiped it away.

   Jader looked down at the wall, with its uneven stones and cracked bricks. With little to no effort, he slung himself over the wall, catching a foothold and stepping on a stone. Jei noticed with a little humor that this fort was all too easy to sneak into. There wasn’t a wall in the entire campus that didn’t act as a makeshift ladder.

   Jader hesitated before taking another step. He reached a hand around, behind his neck, and pulled off a necklace. It was bound in twine, with a small wooden carving on it, like the head of a doe. The carving was jagged and marred, obviously not made by a craftsmen, but Jei sensed there was something more to the necklace. Jader had many a time clutched one of his necklaces in the middle of the night or when his heart was in pain. He treated this rough wooden carving like it was thin glass, handling it with the utmost care.  Jader held it out for Jei, a gleam in his eyes.

   “My daughter made that, not a week before I never saw her again.” Jader said softly. “Let it remind you of me when you need me.”

   “Where will you go?” Jei asked, the break in his voice causing him to cry even more. He took the necklace and held it tightly, squeezing the solid piece as closely and hard as he could.

   “I will head to Solitude, I think. Maybe Falkreath. Somewhere with work and open minds. Somewhere I can rest my thoughts and work my body.”

   “I’m gonna miss you.”

   Jader nodded. “I’m going to miss you too. Look me up if you ever get out of here. You’re always welcome in any home of mine.”

   Jader gave one last smile before descending down the wall slowly, leaving Jei to do nothing but watch. It didn’t take long for Jader to run off into the swaying woods, swallowed by the night. Jei watched him far after he had gone, then he lowered his neck and slid the doe necklace on. He stood in silence for several minutes, maybe an hour, paying no attention to the cold.

   There was a rustle in the night, a disturbance that flew through the air noiselessly. A sudden pressure fell on Jei's shoulders and he cast his gaze from the woods to the gates before him. A shadowy figure walked slowly towards the fort, a hulking mass of obscure malice. Jei could barely make out a human figure until the torch of a night guard cast jagged light on the man. He was clothed in scarred steel armor and shrouded in a cloth mage's hood, walking ever so menacingly for the fort. Jei could just barely make out the outline of his glinting blue eyes. He was Argonian too?

   "That's close enough." Rang the voice of the guard. Another guard had come to stand beside him, hefting a wooden bow and reaching back for an arrow. Both were still as a tree as the man walked forward, power in each determined step.

   Jei could do nothing but watch as the man came within a stone's throw from the guards. He said some words that Jei couldn't make out, and the archer angrily notched an arrow and took fire. Much to the amazement of all, it glanced off of the Argonian's face as if he was made of pure iron. Quick as lightning, the interloper drew a huge broadsword and ran through the gate. The sword bearing guard turned and dashed down the stairs to meet him, giving a loud yell as he raised his sword above his head. The archer drew a horn and gave a hearty blow, and the hollow bleat run rampant across the stone walls.

   Jei watched in horror as the interloper straight up skewered the swordsman with his broadsword. He flung the dead body off his sword and turned to take on the archer, who was backing up and notching another arrow. Each one he let loose glanced off of the interloper, no matter where they hit. Each time the heads hit, a clang rang out across the walls, chasing snow from the rooftops. With a drop of his jaw, Jei realized that the Argonian WAS made of metal.

   The archer turned to lunch meat at the tip of the interloper’s sword within seconds. Jei hadn't noticed the two men in the tower come behind him, but he saw them running through the courtyard at the Argonian. Across the yard, the doors of the Chief's quarters opened up, and the Chief Hal stepped out, fully covered in steel armor, his stolen Elvish sword held high. The Argonian hopped down from the guard's stand and hefted his sword in preparation.

   The bandit on the left of him ran in for a strike, which was quickly deflected off an upward block. In one fluid motion, the Argonian slipped inside the bandit's guard and threw him to the ground behind him. The bandit on the right had closed the gap and went in for an overhead slash, but the interloper dodged and took a wide swing, splattering blood across the pure snow. In the silence of the deafening snow, only two men stood: Chief Hal and the mysterious interloper. Both bared swords high, with poisonous glares at each other.

   Hal let out a mighty roar and charged at the interloper, but the interloper stood still poised to strike at any moment. Chief Hal brought his arms high, and swung down with the force of an angry bear, forcing the interloper to do a roll to the side, dodging the swing. It seemed so fluid and sudden, Chief Hal was caught off balance, slipping in the snow. He tried to correct, throwing a swing to his left, where the interloper had rolled off too, but it was too wide, too sloppy. The interloper swung upwards, and a horrible sound rung through the air as Hal's steel breastplate was torn from his chest, the metal mangled and warped from the force of the blow.

   Chief Hal was forced backwards by the blow, staggering to regain his footing. Fear seemed to linger in his movements now, which were more guarded and hesitant, but the damage was done. He wound up for a swing from the left down, but the interloper stuck faster, cleaving his sword through Hal's exposed torso. Blood flew from the wound into the snow below, following the path of the blade to wet the stones of the fort. Hal slumped over, falling to the ground in a pool of red, definitely dead now. Silence followed from where once there was combat. It was over.

   Jei watched as the interloper slid his bare fingers across the blade, cleaning the blood off. All around, the world held its breath, and Jei had no idea why. Not a sound crept from the hushed winds and the trees stood still, watching the scene play out. It seemed peaceful.

   Then the interloper turned to face Jei.

   He surged for the wooden steps that led to the ramparts, and Jei's heart made a break for his throat. Panic jolted through each muscle in his body, and as he quickly stumbled to his feet, the biting cold ran away, the sensation of the wind, and all he could feel was his heart thumping against his ribcage like a sledgehammer. He barged through the door to the tower and made a run for the steps. He might've let out a scream, but he wasn't sure. Head for the tower.

   Just behind him, he could hear the powerful footsteps of the man. The sound leather boots stomping down and the sound of moving armor sounded like a cacophony of danger. Up ahead, Jei, heard the strangled snort of a man. Another one of the bandits, Jei thought, grasping onto that straw of hope. He peaked the stairs and saw the bandit pulling a sword and a knife, looking disoriented. Head for the tower.

   "Wuz goin-" He started.

   "MOVE RIGHT NOW AND DO SOMETHING." Was what Jei wanted to say, but he was sure it came out as a strangled grunt and a small scream. There was a ladder at the far side of the room, which was used to get to the top of the tower. The trap door was small, and Jei was the only one of the bandits who could get through without some struggle. He grabbed a rung and went right up the ladder like the floor was burning hot, leaving the bandit below with the Argonian.

   Jei closed the trapdoor and instantly felt the bitter bite of the icy winds. He stumbled over the chains littering the floor to peeked over the tower parapet. He wanted to call out, for Jader, for someone, for help, but he couldn't. He was alone. He was alone and trapped up here until that man left, he thought. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes as fear and panic froze his chest taut and made the beating of his heart sore. Please be gone, he thought. He was hoping beyond anything that the last bandit had killed the interloper.

   Deafening silence filled the winds again. The moon looked down on him like a stern disk of silver. He prayed on the moon that he would make it out of here alive. He prayed on everything that he would make it out alive. Silence.

   Then suddenly, he heard it. The creak of a wooden ladder being climbed. Bitter ice filled his body. Was it the man or the bandit? Was he saved? At the very least, it would take whoever it was a second to make it through the trap doorway. Jei would at least have some time, he thought.

   But the night would get worse before it got better. A steel clad fist broke the trap door right off its hinges, cracking the stones around it. The doorway widened as stones fell away, and the interloper surged through the trapdoor with a newfound malice in his eyes. A dagger protruded from his shoulder, the knife that the bandit had stabbed him with, but he looked unfazed. His breathing was normal, and his blue eyes still glinted strongly in the moonlight. He caught sight of Jei instantly and walked slowly towards him. This was the end, Jei thought.

   But the interloper knelt and pulled back his hood. A mane of blue feathers came out in the traditional mohawk style of the Argonians. A few scars adorned his face, and a terrifying crescent of red, whether it be blood or paint, ringed from either side of his jaw, up past his eyes, to meet at his forehead. He looked no less terrifying, but the look in his eyes changed. His jaw slackened ever so slightly, and his grimace turned to a look of curiosity. He went from stone cold iron to soft clay.

   There was silence that hung in the air as both Argonians looked at each other with mixed expressions. He reached his arm out, but winced in pain, and his hand shot back on instinct to the dagger in his shoulder. He spoke with a voice like mead, so warm and sweet Jei almost forgot why he was so afraid.

   "H... How old are you?"

 

   Jei led the interloper into the Stumbling Sabrecat, the tavern in the middle of the fort. The vast change in attitudes stunned Jei enough. The murderous brute from before had changed into this concerned, almost exasperated man, a if this whole trip, the knife in his back, and Jei himself were nothing but an inconvenience.

   They walked through the creaky wooden door of the tavern, which smelled like vomit and ash, and the warmth of the fire hit their bones instantly. Jei hadn’t realized before, but he was shivering madly. He stood by the door as the interloper walked towards the fire, which was dangerously close to the wooden floor.

   A gasp escaped from Jei’s mouth as the interloper held up a hand. It shifted, the green of his scales dulling into a grey, the hand itself developing a sort of sheen, as if it was covered in oil. It wasn’t oil, no, but it was pure steel, in the blink of an eye. The interloper stuck his hand in the embers and ashes of the fire, carefully pushing it back into the hearth, all as if it was nothing but an inconvenience. Jei stared in awe.

   A grunt came from the interlopers mouth as he started to sit down, the knife in his back glistening in the light with the tinge of his blood. The man reached for it, but he couldn’t seem to grasp it, the armour restricting him from reaching around to his back. He struggled, obviously pained by it, before his eyes fell to Jei.

   “Can I get some help over here?” He said gruffly, almost emotionlessly. Jei jolted and looked around. He slowly approached the man from behind, as if he had no idea what to do with this situation. The interloper eyed him the whole way, a grimace on his lips.

   “Well? What are you waiting for?” He almost barked. “Pull it out!”

   “W..What?” Jei said, his stomach telling him to most certainly not pull the knife out.

   “It can’t stay there forever, can it? Just grab it by the hilt and pull out.” His tone was beginning to be exasperated.

   Jei still hesitated, his fingers reaching forward, but his mind not at all made up.

   “Won’t that make it worse?” Jei stammered.

   “It’ll bleed more, sure, but I want the dagger out of my body more than in.” The man said sarcastically. Jei got the feeling he was wearing on his patience.

   “I… I don’t like blood.” Jei was almost crying.

   The interloper turned to look at Jei more, his face a mask of fury, but he stopped. Something in the man shifted when he looked back at the boy, his mannerisms, how he was talking, the way his facial expression shifted. The interloper softened yet again, his grimace falling away to concern, his furrowed brow rising ever so slightly in sympathy. He turned himself, the dagger towards the fire, and looked at Jei face front.

   “I have to get this out of me, and you have to be the one to do it.” The man sighed. “Just look at me, in the eyes, and pull it out from behind me. You won’t have to see the blood, and once it’s gone, I can take my armour off and clean the wound all by myself. I just need your help now, okay? Can you do that for me?”

   Jei felt his arms shake. This was all too much. Everyone was dead! And this man, single-handedly responsible for killing them all, was telling him to pull a bloody knife out of his back like it was a walk in the park. But the man spoke again.

   “Hey, relax, alright?” His voice was as smooth as a river stone and as warm as a campfire. Jei looked him in his eyes, those powder blue eyes, and the man beckoned him forward.

   “It’s going to be okay, alright? You’re gonna do just fine, and then you can rest. No sweat, no problem.” He went on, and Jei felt himself moving forward. He got on his knees and scooted himself closer to the interloper, his eyes never leaving those deep blue orbs. His hands trembled like the first steps of a baby deer, and his breathing was slow and ragged. His stomach kept screaming at him not to do what he was about to do, but Jei reached his hand over the shoulder of the interloper, behind his back, and his fingers curled around the hilt of the knife.

   “That’s it. Just a little more.” The interloper smiled. Something about him was so comforting, Jei felt himself stabilize a little bit, his other hand grabbing the man’s shoulder firmly.

   “You’re doin’ great, kid.” The interloper said.

   Jei frowned instantly, and pulled the dagger out as quickly as he could. The interloper apparently wasn’t expecting that much force, and instantly made a noise of pain. Jei pulled the knife back, his face stonier and colder than it was before. The man’s hand shot back to grab the wound on his back, a look of betrayal and pain lining his face.

   “Don’t call me a kid.” Jei almost spat, getting up from the man quickly and throwing the dagger away in some corner of the room.

   He hated feeling like he was a child. He was nineteen goddamn years, and this murderer was treating him like he was a young hatchling of ten. The man grunted, a grimace returning to his previously soft face. It looked a whole lot less scary now.

   “Fine, whatever.” He spat out. He held the wound a touch longer, then started slowly taking off the straps of his armour.

   Jei stewed off in the corner for a second, then the realization of what he had done hit him like a ton of stones. He felt like his stomach was being turned inside out by an invisible claw. His body shook again, and he sunk to his knees, wave after wave of nausea hitting him. He was going to throw up. He was definitely going to throw up.

   The interloper took off the breastplate of his armor without much hesitation, setting the steel plates on the ground next to him. There was a bag under his armour, just behind his back, that he pulled out. Inside, there seemed to me a number of bandages. As Jei sat, trying to force the nausea back, the interloper instead cleaned his wound, wrapping a bandage around his shoulder and chest, forming a Y shape from his armpit around. He looked at Jei with a glare of venom, then sighed.

   “I suppose I should thank you for pulling out the dagger. Sorry for calling you a kid.”

   Jei forced down a throat full of sick and nodded his head.

   “Is whatever, I s’pose.” He said, his throat hoarse from the burn of nausea.

   And there was a pause. Jei could feel the man’s eyes on him, but all he could do was shiver. He hated being so sick at the sight of blood.

   “Are you hungry?” The interloper asked suddenly.

   Jei could only shake his head. He stared at the wall, his mind and body awash.

   “I’m going to make some stew.” The man went on. “I have some beef and some bread, and I’m sure I can find some vegetables that look alright around this dump. If you want some, just ask.”

   Jei gave no response, but the shivering in his body began to slow. The man stood up and stretched, his joints popping ever so slightly. He left his chestplate and his sword by the fire, reaching into his bag. There was a shuffling noise that Jei couldn’t make out, and he found himself turning to watch the man. He could finally get a better look at him.

   The interloper was big. He wasn’t a hulk, and he had a ways to go before he could be mistaken for an orcish warrior, but his large, slender build betrayed no absence of exercise and care. His scales were green on dark green, and a few scars ran along his back and chest. He had several tattoos, on his face and arms and chest, all a royal red. He moved with a brush of lethargy, not quite sloppy, but with no elegance in quality. It would’ve looked clumsy, but as he tore chunks of beef and sliced onions, putting the ingredients in the pot, Jei saw something else. Muscle memory and practise shone through his every action. He must’ve been adventuring for a long time.

   He worked slowly, but within minutes, the shack that smelled of blood, vomit and ash instead was filled with the smell of salted beef and cooking garlic.

   Jei felt his stomach settling. The man sat down with a sigh, his hand reaching to caress his wound. Jei stared until the man looked back.

   “What?” He asked bluntly.

   Jei looked away, a warmth spreading to his face. “S’nothin’.” He muttered under his breath.

   “You look sick.”

   “I really don’t like blood.”

   The interloper chuckled, laying back with his arms behind his head. He had a small tuft of feathers at the base of his armpit. “I couldn’t tell.” He mused.

   Jei looked at the man, puzzle on his face. “You… killed all of them.”

   The room got silent. The interloper nodded sagely. “I gave them a chance to surrender, but as soon as one dolt commits, the rest fight with it.”

   Jei mulled that over in his head like a gulp of sour milk. “But you didn’t kill me.” He almost squeaked.

   The interloper nodded, sitting up straighter. He reached over to his sword and pulled the blade out of the scabbard by just an inch. “Would you like me to?”

   Jei found himself shaking his head so hard it hurt. “I just want to know why.”

   The interloper resheathed the sword and returned to his reclined position. The fire lit his muscles very nicely. The cockish grin on his face almost made him look slightly wicked. “You won’t like that answer.”

   Jei’s face soured. “Because I’m a kid.”

   The man laughed. “Don’t be mad about it, I just remember being your age too. I was a bit of a wreck.”

   “Why does everyone think it’s so young?!” Jei snapped. “I’m almost an adult, and nearly two decades old.”

   “Meanwhile, I’m two years into my third and I still have no idea what I’m doing.” The interloper responded. “Don’t take it to heart. You’ll live your entire life with people telling you you’re either too young or too old.”

   “That sounds depressing.” Jei said flatly. The man just laughed. He looked over to check the stewpot, which was happily steaming in the corner. It smelled rich and savory. The interloper stirred it with a wooden spoon, dipping the ladle in to take a sip.

   “It’s ready.” The man said, standing slowly. “Hopefully I can find a clean bowl. Are you sure you don’t want any?”

   Jei shifted where he sat. His stomach had settled a fair bit, and the stew did smell good. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was.

   “Sure.” Jei said, standing as well. “I’ll have some.” The interloper was looking around the drawers and shelves near the bar. He finally found two battered but fairly clean wooden bowls. He returned to his stewpot, producing two flattened loaves of bread from his bag and pouring out servings of chunky stew. The two ate in silence, only the soft roar of the fire to fill the empty space.

   The stew wasn’t particularly extraordinary, but Jei was really hungry, and it was warm. He felt the warmth spread throughout his body, melting the ice in his bones. He had three bowls. After the last one, Jei began to feel woozy and slight. He hadn’t slept well in the last few nights, and now his eyelids were getting heavy.

   The interloper picked up his bowl. “What’s your name, boss?” He asked.

   Jei looked at him tiredly. “I’m Jei.”

   “My name is Raj-Ei.” The interloper responded. “Pleased to meet you.”

   “Likewise.”

   “You seem tired.” Raj continued. He reached into his bag and procured the last item inside of it: a wool cloak. He laid it on Jei softly.

   “Thanks. I think I will sleep.” Jei said. Or perhaps he meant to say. His eyes were already closed, and he felt himself drifting to sleep, his last sight of the interloper standing up to stretch his arms.

   The night, once filled with the noises of nature, the whipping of the wind and the sounds of birds and creaking pines, fell silent. The eyes of the wolves turned to the Sabrecat, and nature hushed itself til his awakening. The night was safe.


	2. Friends in Strange Places

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As we move along, through mysterious dreams and strange allegations, these two adventurers, now working together, find themselves hit against mankind's greatest enemy: Time. With only twelve days on the clock, will they be able to complete their journey? Or will it be cut short?

**** -Jei-

_    Jei looked around at the skeletal birch trees in the field of red. The grass, the bushes, the leaves in the trees, were all blood red. It wasn't autumn, it wasn't natural. The trees swayed in a bone dry, cold wind. The whispers of danger sunk into the quiet gusts, and into Jei's skin.  _

_    The mountains around Jei were all encompassing, huge giants of stone and snow that looked blacker than ink or ash. They seemed to phase into the night sky above, which bore none of the lights that Skyrim's night sky usually had. The stars were red, the moon was red, the world around him was sinking down, all at once.  _

_    Jei felt a presence behind him and turned, facing a deer as big as a house. The whole deer seemed to be see through, as if he was only halfway there, halfway somewhere else. In the interstitial space between his bones and sinews, there was a small cluster of stars, that lined together like constellations, each bright star shooting a beam to another. The lines were always in flux, never sticking on one constellation at a time.  _

_    The deer’s eyes were starkly human, and blood red. They regarded Jei with a cold air, judging his actions silently. Jei started to feel the world closing around him, as if the mountains were moving towards him all at once. _

**_Do not be afraid_ ** _. Said a voice, metallic and airy. Jei felt his heart reach to his throat. The deer had spoken.  _ **_I will watch over you and protect you._ **

_    There was something about this deer that seemed familiar. Distant, like one's best friend shouting from across a lake. Jei wanted to reach his hands out to touch the deer, but he couldn't move.  _

**_Do not fail me, Jei. You will be important in the years to come._ **

_    The world seemed to gray slowly, as if burning from the edges. Jei felt a chill run down his body, and his heart began to pound in his chest. He could always feel those eyes looking at him. He would forevermore. _

-Raj-

   The journal entry went as follows:

_ “I set foot on the soil of Skyrim shortly before the sun waned _

_ in the sky. The wind is cold, and the people are seemingly colder.  _

_ Despite receiving the necessary aid, I found myself cornered in a  _

_ quest. It came with ease, but burned precious time. From here on, no _

_ more setbacks.” _

   Raj read it over and sighed, closing the book and slowly sliding it back into the bag secured tightly to his tail. Before him, there was a slew of items, foods he had picked up from around the fort, a knife or two he might need for cutting rope, rope, and slightly smaller rope, just in case the other rope started fraying too much. The kid still occupied his blanket, and was bundled close to the roaring embers of the fire. Raj didn’t feel like waking him just yet; the sun had yet to rise over the frozen horizon. The stew from last night was slowly boiling. 

   Raj winced slightly as he packed the items in his bag. His back had been flaring in pain since he had been stabbed. It wasn’t just the place where he had been wounded either, it was his whole back. He had spent far too much time cooped up in his study, and his back missed his comfy chair. Raj amended that he’d find something to lay back on next time he found himself in an abandoned bandit tavern.

   The fight itself hadn’t been too rough on Raj. One simple iron skin spell had yielded anything the bandits threw at him useless. Nothing, short of the wicked sharp quicksilver in the leader’s Elvish sword, could penetrate his skin. Well, until the spell timed out. The shooting pain in his back reminded him of that.

   And then there had been the boy. Raj rushed to assume he was going to try to get more help, which would’ve been easy to deal with, but Raj didn’t feel like fighting many more people. It seemed that wasn’t the true nature, however. He was running away. He seemed smarter, or perhaps more scared, than the rest of the bandits. 

   Raj didn’t sleep the whole night, and when the sun peeked its heads over the swaying tips of the trees, he stood up, stretching his arms out. He began to read into the books Madena had given to him. He was a quick reader, and easily skimmed through two before the stew started filling the air with its rich smell again. 

   They were really nothing of consequence. None of them held much about where a dragon would reside now; they spoke at length about the history dragons had made for themselves in Skyrim. Long before history could even be  recorded properly, dragons had ruled over the people of Skyrim, until the Nords rose up against them, slaying The World Eater, Alduin. It went on to talk about how the dragons were hunted into extinction. It seemed bleak to read, but the more Raj read, the more relieved he became. Apparently there had been a resurgence of dragon activity within the last 30 years, coinciding with the return of some hero named the Dragonborn. 

   The next book was just a general description of dragons. The only interesting notes were the several detailed sketches the writer had done of various dragons and their bones, and the strangely descriptive record of places Dragons liked to make their nests. It would’ve been far more useful if Raj was more knowledgeable of the lay of the land. ‘Dragons prefer caves in remote areas, either at high altitudes or in the plains. This provides a steady diet of goats in the fields or cliffs, and limits interactions with hostile mortals.’ It went as deep in as to talk about the amount of moisture they liked in their nests. If only Raj knew where places like that were. 

   A stirring noise roused Raj from his deep reading. The boy, Jei, was awakening slowly from his small cocoon of blankets and tattered clothing. Raj pursed his lips as he looked on the near rags the boy was wearing. No wonder he was a shivering mess earlier. 

_    No. Stop doing that. You can’t just get attached to people you barely know. You’ve done this too many times and it’s a huge problem. _ Raj reminded himself: the child isn’t your priority. 

   The boy sat up and rubbed his eyes. They were bright orange, just like the little tufts of hair on his otherwise bald head. Two horns peeked in from just above his temples, curving backward. His scales were sort of a greyish brown, devoid of any of the tattoos prevalent on Black Marsh born Argonians. He was either one of the new generation of Argonians in Skyrim, or had moved here from Cyrodiil. He looked at Raj with a strange expression.

   “Have you just been watching me sleep?” The kid asked with a hint of incredulousness. 

   Raj laughed. “No.” He answered. “Just doing a little bit of studying. How did you sleep?”

   Jei looked away suddenly, then slowly craned his eyes back to look at Raj. “It was fine, I guess.” It didn’t sound wholly true. 

   “Good to hear.” Raj said, sticking a spoon back in the stew to stir it slowly. “Hey, I don’t mean to intrude, but I’m a little curious of where you’re from.”

   “Oh.” The kid looked a little embarrassed. “I’m originally from Cyrodiil.”

   “That makes a fair bit of sense. I didn’t see any tattoos.” Raj remarked. “How did you find your way here?”

   “Nothing.” The boy said, instantly turning his head to change the subject. Raj didn’t have the heart to tell him that wasn't an answer. “Is the stew almost ready?”

   Raj nodded, and they made with a second meal. The stew kept well overnight, but the lack of bread was a bit of a disappointment. Raj ate whatever remaining portion was entitled to him, and his stomach still felt a bit empty. Such is life, he thought to himself, standing up and dusting his lap off. Raj saw the boy watch as he put back on his armour, flipping his hood over his back and tightening the straps on his chestplate. 

   Raj saw him trace the outlines of his tattoos with his eyes. Perhaps he was jealous. It would make sense as to why the boy was so closed with his origin beyond a simple location. It wasn’t uncommon for non-native Argonians to feel outcast because of their birth in another province. The sort of shame of exclusion from the tribe lingered even in such a diverse and changing world. 

_    It must be terrifying,  _  Raj’s more maternal thoughts said to him.  _ Being alone and unlike anyone you could ever relate to.  _ Raj shook the thought and the feeling of sympathy that came with it. No time to get attached now.

   “Where are you gonna go?” The boy asked. 

   “Dawnstar. I have business there.” Raj chose those words diplomatically. He could’ve said ‘I’m going to get money for killing all of your friends.’ He figured that wasn’t the best idea. “Then I intend to head to Winterhold and gather some information.”

   “So you’re on a quest of some sort?” Jei asked, standing up himself.

   Raj hesitated as he picked up his sword. He threw the scabbard over his shoulder, fastening the strap at his chest.

   “You could say that.” He remarked. “I’m studying some things here in Skyrim. It’s nothing to really worry about.”

   Raj looked down at the boy, who had just finished his stew. He had put the bowl with Raj’s then looked at him, sunset orange eyes peering into Raj’s soul. 

   “Are you going now?” He asked.

   “I have to. The sooner I get the move on, the sooner I can get to studying.” Raj almost felt his heart ache. He knew he wanted to spend more time with Jei, or take him to Dawnstar, but he couldn’t risk getting the kid roped in on his mission. He opened the door to the Sabrecat, and tugged his hood down in a sort of salute to Jei. “I’m sure you understand, but I can’t be delayed anymore. Good luck, and farewell.”

_    You are not dragging him along either. _

   Raj walked into the fort’s courtyard, surveying the damned wreck as a whole. Why anyone would chose to live here was beyond him. The corpse of the bandit leader was to his left, as was the Elvish sword. Before Raj walked on, he made sure he took his souvenir.

   He began to walk down the ragged and faded road. It didn’t take him long to hear the boy’s footsteps behind him. Raj bit back a soft curse. A part of him probably should’ve seen that coming.

_    Don’t let him get involved with you. _ Raj rolled his eyes placidly.  _ Don’t let this kid follow you around. Don’t let him come along with you. It’s not safe for him with you, you know what you’re doing, this kid isn’t even a toothpick to a dragon.  _

   The boy was already beside Raj, walking along with him. There was no meekness in his stride. He didn’t think he was in the wrong place, apparently. Raj picked up his pace, and the boy matched it. He did so again, moving into speed walking territory. The boy had to jog, but he kept up. Finally, Raj stopped abruptly.

   “Wanna know what I’m doing?” Raj said, bending slightly to tower over the boy.

   “I’d like to, yeah.” Jei replied. “I can’t help you in your quest if I don’t know what we’re doing.”

   Raj donned a smug grin, standing up straight. He kept his lazed demeanour, but made sure Jei could see just how much bigger than him he was. He didn’t want to be really intimidating, but sometimes, you have to assert dominance. “I am looking for something very dangerous that can kill you without a second thought. It’s not safe for you to be following me on that quest. I can take you to Dawnstar, and that’s as far as you go.”

   “Oh.” Jei said, looking down. “I’m sure I could be helpful, though. And I know you’ll keep me safe from anything!” He said almost instantly, perking back up.

   “No, I… Dragons, Jei, I’m hunting dragons.” Raj said, airing on the edge of exasperation. 

   “I’ve never seen a dragon before.” Jei said, his eyes widening. Raj started to feel a tugging in the pits of his heart again.

   “You can’t come along. I don’t want you to get hurt or killed or fried. Dawnstar is as far as you go.” Raj said, arguing with the boy as if it was a matter of what they would eat for lunch.

   “Oh, fine then.” The boy said, a snide smile spreading across his face. “I’ll just go back to the fort of dead bandits and die there when some wolves come to eat me. That will be a far more boring, far more assured death.” He started. “Or you could probably put me in the town I’m almost definitely wanted in by association of some bandits you just murdered. There I can spend the last of my days in jail or a penniless beggar, frozen like a jei-sicle in about three days tops.”

   Raj hesitated. The boy was incredibly snark, but not wrong; he had kinda thrown him very few options here. Raj felt his mind working, trying to come up with a compelling argument against trying to go on a suicide mission at the age of nineteen. Nothing seemed really strong at the moment.

_    ‘Stay alive’ really should be a bit more persuading than it has been thus far. _ Raj thought to himself. He considered just running off. The boy surely couldn’t keep up with Raj at his fastest pace. That seemed like a responsible adult thing to do.

   But a tiny voice nagged the back of Raj’s consciousness. It was different than the usual consideration he usually put into his actions; this was far more primal, and ever more potent.

_    There would be no stopping you at this age.  _ It said.  _ You know letting him along is the right thing to do. Just be sure to keep him safe. _

   Raj cursed his crummy maternal instinct. He looked back at the child, still staring up at him wide eyed. 

   “Is there nothing I can do to convince you this is a bad idea?”

   Jei smiled big. “You did kill a buncha people right in front of me yesterday. I would say that is about as convincing an argument as you can give, and I’m still here.”

   “Listen, kid, I’m not going to-”

   “Unless you want a knife stuck in your back again, I’d suggest not calling me kid.” Jei snapped, the smile not fading in the slightest. “I’m coming with you. After all, it is your fault I’m alone now.”

   Alone.

   The word didn’t strike Raj as much as it melted in. He owed this kid, and nothing was going to get him out of it. That was the nature of their meeting. End of the day, all Raj could think was  _ that’s fair. _

_    Well, you failed that one. Way to get attached to this tiny bag of skin and bone. He doesn’t even have a sword. How is he going to defend himself, with his shitty attitude? I think not.  _ Raj had conceded. 

   “You can come along with me.” Raj said. He saw the boy’s eyes light up like the sun, and it sort of made up for the guilt Raj felt for signing off on the boy’s death. “But, we have some ground rules first.”

   Raj held up three fingers. “Number one, you do what I say, when I say it. I guess I’ll have to find a way to keep you from being killed by skeevers, so I’ll be teaching you how to fight with a sword. You listen to me and obey my every word. If I tell you to run, you don’t stop running until you are safe or are dead.”

   Jei nodded, the stupid smile still glued to his face like a lopsided game of Pin the Grin on the Dumb Baby. 

   “Number two, you are going to adhere to a tight schedule that will be made by me from day to day. You are going to be fast to wake up, fast to eat, and fast to get ready. Any lollygagging will result in you being left behind. I don’t have all the time in the world, even if I really wish I did.

   “Number three.” Raj turned and hefted his tail. He undid the pouch on his tail bag, pulling out his journal. A few stray notes threatened to fall out, but whatever adhesive Raj had used was going to keep them in, for now. “You are going to be my new scribe. You write journal entries detailing our every day on this little excursion, and then you show them to me. They’re done when I tell you they are. This will give me more time to study in the field.”

   He handed the journal to Jei, who was practically beaming at this point. The boy took the journal and paused. His face slowly dissolved into confusion and misunderstanding.

   “I don’t have any pockets.” He said plainly. He extended the book back to Raj. Raj took it back, sliding it back into the pocket of his tail bag. Real brilliant one there.

   “We’ll have to get you outfitted in Dawnstar. Come along now, the city awaits.” Raj started his pace again. Just like a dog, the boy followed along. 

   Well, that fight was lost. Raj would’ve felt good about himself if he wasn’t so frustrated.  _ You set yourself up for this. _ A nagging voice said to him.  _ You could’ve just killed him and been done with it, but you left him with no one else to cling to except you. Way to go champ.  _ Raj thrust anymore conversation silent in his mind. There were more interesting things to think about. 

   Raj hadn’t had very much time to look around when he was first by this area, he thought. He had been a little busy rushing to the fort to truly take in the area around him. Now, he let his eyes wander a bit, into the trees and the berry bushes. The rolling hills coated with snow and ice glimmered peacefully as the sun sent beams of bright light down from above. It was tough to look at, but pretty nonetheless. The muffled sound of feet and the wind made it feel as if Raj was holding hands over his ears. Snow had a way of making a person feel like everything was closer than it was, at least for Raj. The walk would feel short, but the views of the hills and the swaying of the trees would lead Raj’s mind away from the desired destination. 

   Raj noticed the third and fourth pair of footprints, however. It shattered the illusion of peacefulness and safety in the vast snowy slopes. They were behind the two, only about 10 yards behind them. If Raj turned, they would surely see one another, they weren’t even trying to stay hidden. Perhaps it was paranoia, perhaps they were just travellers, but Raj felt the feathers on the back of his neck perk up. He noted their presence and started a spell in his head, one that would turn his skin to steel. If it was nothing, Raj would still be prepared. 

   They crested a hill, and Raj’s heart skipped a beat. Just a little ahead, flanked by trees and a crumbling stone wall, was a carriage. Four Dawnstar guards stood in front of the carriage, swords drawn and shields at the ready. Raj knew the way they stood, the way they looked at him. Either there was something Raj was missing, or this was an ambush. One way or another, there was no backing out now. 

   As if by some indication from the guards, two figures climbed out of the carriage as soon as Raj and Jei got closer. They walked to the center of the square formed by the four guards, watching as the two Argonians walked closer. With a small moment of shock, Raj recognized the one on the right as Madena, in blood red robes. The man on the left was unfamiliar.

   He was a pointed man, from the tip of his exaggerated beard to the angry, sharp look in his eyes. He looked as if he hadn’t stopped stressing his body into the most static position, and because of it he had turned to marble. Weak and skinny marble, but he was a professional statue nonetheless. His outfit was bright white and tan, and his blonde hair was pulled back into a fuzzy cap. His eyes shot daggers ar Raj.

   The two adventurers stopped right before the first row of guards. Madena gave Raj a soft smirk, that betrayed perhaps a touch of arrogance, but seemed benevolent. The man on the left, however, looked as if Raj had stolen his very tongue. 

   “You are not to go any further!” The man said. His voice sounded like he had had a pipe stuck in his throat, forcing his throat to choke out words rough and high at the same time. 

   Raj turned his gaze to Madena, and gave her a respectful nod. Don’t speak to the whiner. “What’s this?” He asked her.

   “I’m afraid I have to agree with Percival, Raj. It seems you’ve been denied access to Dawnstar in the absence of the Jarl.” She said boredly. 

   “Your crimes are to have you executed! To think we gave aid to a slimy boot like you.” The guy who apparently was named Percival said. 

   Raj didn’t look him in the eye. “What’d be the reason?”

   Madena rolled her eyes, the smile hanging lazily on her face. Her tone was almost painfully sarcastic. “The Synod sent us a very interesting letter. Shall I read it to you?”

   Silence. Raj mulled over his courses of action in his mind. Things seemed very bad. He knew exactly what the letter would be about, and what it could mean for him.

   Mistakes. Horrible mistakes had brought him to where he was now. He could draw his sword now and take out a few guards, smash Percival’s face in, but then he’d be destroyed. And what would happen to unarmed Jei? Raj grit his teeth, the words already forming in his mind as he looked at Madena stiffly.

   “I see no reason why not.”

   Madena uncrossed her arms, slowly pulling a letter from her robes. Percival huffed as he watched her unfold the letter, the faint hint of a smile still on her face.

   “‘To the Jarl of Dawnstar,

   It has come to our attention quite recently that you are harbouring and abetting a criminal in the eyes of the Empire. The assailant Raj-Ei, a former colleague of ours at the Synod, has sought refuge in Skyrim after a serious and ghastly murder to which he was the perpetrator. We ask, urge even, that he be executed as soon as possible.

   Please note that the assailant is highly dangerous, armed with a sword and is known for his ability to transmute raw materials. However, there is another ability he possesses that makes him deadlier than most.’”

   Madena paused, lifting her eyes over the top of the parchment. The feathers on the back of Raj’s neck bristled in anticipation. His sword felt cold against his back, and he readied a spell that would change his skin to steel.

_    If you pick up the boy and run, you should be able to protect him and yourself. But what about Madena? What could she do?  _ Raj forgot all about any mention of her abilities in the hilariously minimal travelogues and books he had been given. Perhaps running wasn’t the best idea. He felt his heartbeat quicken.

   “‘Raj-Ei,’” she continued, “‘possesses the unprecedented ability to turn a person he looks in the eyes to stone. This ability has given him the name, the Anvil Gorgon. He is far more dangerous than he looks, kill him to protect yourself.

 

   Signed,

The Synod Council.’”

   Percival edged closer to Madena, as if she could protect him. The words rang in Raj’s head. Everything around him seemed to lower its volume. No wonder Percival was so heated. That was one embellished letter.

   It was far more than worth noting that this letter was false on many levels. He wasn’t wanted for murder, and he was no refugee. The Synod had sent him on the mission themselves. 

   And now they wanted to kill him.

   “Interesting, isn’t it?” Madena said tartly, folding the letter and returning it to her robes. “Surely you and I are thinking the same thing.”

   “It’s impossible to turn another person to stone.” Raj replied. “I can’t turn a man to stone for sure. The whole letter is a huge lie.”

   Her face was so hard to read, Raj was having trouble discerning whether or not she believed him.

   “Indeed.” Madena said, an air of emphasis in her voice. “Such a cleverly worded letter cannot put away the fact that you are correct. See, Percival, there’s no problem here.”

   Percival screwed his face into a scowl. “I’ve already made my decision as the Jarl’s proxy in his absence! This man is to be shipped off immediately.”

   “Let me handle this.” She said, forcefully. “Into the carriage for you.”

   Percival looked as if he was about to explode. His face turned red, but as he seemed ready to move, the direction of his motions shifted from at Madena to the cart. He climbed aboard, and was lost to them behind the wine red tent covering it.  Madena turned to Raj and sighed.

   “You must excuse him, he is rather new, and rather indignant.”

   “He seems very serious about having me killed.” Raj said, no tone of remarkability in his voice. “Perhaps he needs a nap?”

   Madena chuckled. Her smile was malignant, but not at Raj or Jei. It seemed more like mischief in her eyes, like she had just been given a new toy to play with. 

   “Perhaps I should begin with the easy questions. It seems that the Synod is very set on killing you, so I must ask you, why?” Madena asked, her eyebrows raising.

   Raj cleared his throat. “The Synod abhors my work ethic. I’ve done mounds of research for them, but they look at my hard work and see only procrastination.”

   “Raj, there must be more to it than that. Why else would they try for this?” Madena gave him a knowing look. She seemed to look deep into his mind, though Raj was sure she wasn’t. She was sincere and trusting in her demeanor. The truth must be told.

   Raj sighed. He looked at the ground below, focusing on his toes before he raised his chin, making eye contact again. When he spoke, it was different than his usual, lazy brogue.

   “Two weeks ago, I went out to check a source.” Raj said. “I was in the neighbourhood after a small walk, so I decided to drop in and talk with an old friend who I wanted to compare some notes with.

   “I spent… A long time over, and it had been months since I last reported in to the Synod. They were impatient regarding my research, so they sent a thief to steal it in the dead of night. Cowardice, if you ask me, they just didn’t want to ask me face forward. Didn’t even give me the chance to say no.

   Well, my assistant, Got, was in the lab late that night.” Raj felt his voice start to weaken. He felt his vocal cords tighten. “I made my way home just in time to apprehend the thief.”

   Raj drew in a slightly shaky breath. Madena’s demeanor was overflowing with concern, so vast a difference in how she was only moments before. Raj felt Jei move closer to him from behind. 

   “Got died that night, in the lab. The Synod saw the chance to blame me, and wants to use my expulsion or death as cause to seize my notes.”

   Raj closed his eyes as he finished his story. The wound was still fairly fresh, it had only been a little ago since that night. The Synod had been fast to send him away, hoping for bits of his research. They would have no such luck, as his notes were all tucked away in his tail bags. He still had this chance. 

   Madena nodded slowly. “That does make sense with the letter I was given.” She said pointedly. “It’s safe to assume they probably won’t let you back into Cyrodiil, even if you complete your mission.”

   “I doubt that.” Raj interjected quickly, his voice breaking a bit. “The Synod may be spineless, but that plays to my advantage. I’ve usually been able to get what I want from them.”

   “Because you’re tall and terrifying.” Madena noted. “Well, your explanation aside, Percival isn’t really much for to negotiation, and as I said, the Jarl is out.”

   “When will he return?” Raj asked. 

   “In about ten to twelve days. The journey to Markarth is quite long and dangerous.”

   “Is there perhaps some way I could appeal to the Jarl himself?’ Raj pressed. A plan started formulating in his mind.

   Madena smiled, catching on in the slightest. “You’ve probably already got a point from him; he hates the Empire, if the Synod hates you, you’re a friend by association. Perhaps that could help your case.”

   “Unfortunately, it’ll be tough to build rapport if he’s not here. Especially with Percival making decisions.” Raj took a second to think.

   “There is a Nordic tradition of giving armor to someone you want to curry the favor of.” Madena suggested, raising a finger knowingly. “Perhaps you could buy or make him a set of armor.”

   “You could send him dragon scales.” Jei said. Both Madena and Raj turned to the boy, who had been silent for the whole encounter. He seemed to have been distracted by picking berries from a bush that was touching his leg. He snacked on the snowberries playfully, swallowing and shrugging. “If anything screams respect and kindness, it’s giving someone something they’ve never seen before.”

   Madena smiled wickedly, and Raj gave an approving nod. Maybe taking this squirt along was a good idea.  _ You’re only taking him along because you’re a pushover.  _ Shut up brain. He’s a lonely kid who might be helpful. 

   “Your assistant may be right.” Madena postured. “If you grant him so much as a single scale, that could be sufficient in calling more than just his passing favor. And it is what you’re out here to do. That seems like a two birds one stone situation.”

   “If all goes well, there should be the chance to send a scale to you before twelve days go by.” Raj thought. “I assume Percival will become all the more enraged if I don’t. My being in Skyrim will be a little less safe if that’s the situation.”

   “But I can keep him happy until you pass or fail. He may seem unswaying, but he’s as distractible as a newborn puppy.” Madena clapped her hands together. “I’d say that’s a plan, wouldn’t you?”

   Raj nodded. “It definitely sounds better than killing Percival.”

   The guards shifted at that. Raj laughed, and so did Madena. In a whisper, she added: “Only barely, though.” The guards didn’t seem to hear, but were agitated nonetheless.

   Madena clapped her hands. “Percival, we’ve come to an agreement. Get out here so we can discuss it!”

   Raj levelled his expression as he heard the sound of feet on the road. Percival emerged from behind the cart, quite a bit redder than he was before. Raj steeled his face to show no emotion. He would have to try not to smirk as this gnat of a person got angrier and angrier. Or maybe laughing at him would be easier. Raj pondered both thoughts with a certain amount of amusement. 

   Percival looked like he was about to explode. Madena wore a cocky smile, her hands laying at her hips. 

   “Raj has convinced me of his innocence, and wishes to present Jarl Skald with a dragon scale.” Madena started, but instantly was cut off.

   “WE DO NOT MAKE DEALS WITH CRIMINALS.” He shouted, causing one of the guards to jolt where he stood. Raj sighed, trying not to bite his tongue. 

   “He is a murderer and an enemy of the Empire! He must be dealt with with all of the precision and directness we can muster! It is not for ours to chose whether a fleeing criminal is worth keeping around just solely based on our own prerogative.”

   Madena looked as if she wasn’t listening. She stared wistfully at her wrist, which served only to make Percival angrier. He turned his rage to Raj now. 

   “YOU will not convince me of any false innocence! I see through your lies.” He wailed. 

   Raj kept his face neutral, bordering on the intimidating. He left a hint of amusement, perhaps curiosity in his face, something to catch Percival off guard. Something to make him question if his message was getting through. 

   Flair was important here. Raj put his hands on his hips and let out a small chuckle. He let it roll off his throat as if it was a funny joke, a tasteful quip. The difference in height between him and Percival went from a few inches to entire feet, yards even. He glared down at the man with a look of condescending amusement.

   “Do you think you could stop me if I wanted you dead?” He said in the most confident tone he could muster, reverting from the urgency of before back into his usual relaxed drawl. It didn’t seem like much to him, but Percival’s knees began to shiver immediately. The guards let their hands drift to the hilts of their sword, but something kept them from drawing. Raj knew exactly what it was. Fear.

   “You wouldn’t dare lay a finger on me.” Percival whispered, but there was a quiver in his voice. Raj laughed full on now, making his laugh a little more wicked than he had before. He threw his head back to make it sound clearer, crisper. The more emotion he put into this act the better it would work. 

   “If what your report says is true, I wouldn’t have to. ‘The Anvil Gorgon’. I know what gorgons are, and they don’t petrify by touch.” Percival’s eyes instantly darted away, and his knees shook even more than they had before. There was a quiver in his hands now, and it was spreading slowly. 

   Raj paused, letting that part sink in. He knew from experience how to intimidate a person. It’s far easier with the small, spineless type who values their own body over anything else. Raj felt this was what Percival was. Now all he needed to do was make the man think. To make him fear.

   “If I wanted you dead, there’s not a soul in the world that would stop me. If I were truly a murderer, nothing you could hide behind would keep me from you.” Let it sink in. Let them make wild assumptions and second guess themselves. 

   “But I’m not. I don’t intend to kill you.” Raj ended off with. There was a hesitation, just like Raj figured there would be, but Percival eventually brought his eyes to look back at Raj. He looked like he just wet himself.

   “The deal is simple. You all get to stay home and mind your own business, and I go and continue my studies.” Raj reasoned. “I send the Jarl the dragon scale in return. Then, I can finish my experiments in peace, and you all gain an ally.”

   Percival looked at Madena, who nodded curtly. His face was about as red as blood now. A part of Raj worried about whether or not he was going to pop a blood vessel. 

   Percival sighed and motioned to the guards. They walked behind the carriage, leaving only the last four in front of it. 

   “You have til the Jarl returns.” Percival said, venom seeping into his tongue. “And if you don’t have the scale then, you can kiss your own scales goodbye.”

   “You’ll get your scale.” Raj said, turning his back on Percival, who walked around back with the guards. Raj nodded at Madena and smiled.

   “Thank you for believing me.” Raj said.

   “You said you wanted to help people, and I believe you.” Madena replied. “Now, be sure you follow up on your promises. I’d hate to vouch for you only for your loyalty to be half true.”

   Raj nodded, and Madena departed, her wispy gait catching up with the rest of the party heading back to town. 

   Raj boarded the carriage without a second thought, and the journey to Winterhold began.

 

-Jei-

   Jei hadn’t noticed the cart until he felt Raj’s hand hold him back. It was a standard horse drawn carriage, but it looked worn out and battered. Several places had nails and panels sticking out at odd ends, as if a toddler had tried to repair it. The horses seemed nervous as the wizard and Raj spoke back and forth. Maybe it was that angry little man. He was a little shorter than Jei was, so he must’ve been only about 5’2. Jei didn’t know much about horses, but for some reason, they looked eerily like the driver. Gaunt and with hair that covered their eyes. Creepy.

   Raj didn’t seem to notice anything about the cart, but it perplexed Jei. It looked so poorly put together he could probably turn it to splinters with a good punch. He contemplated doing so the whole time as he ate those rich, dark flavoured snowberries. When the guards and the two officials left, he was happy he hadn’t. Raj and Jei boarded the carriage and they were off.

   Jei sat mulling over what he’d heard in his head. Apparently, the person he had just hastily attached himself to for no reason was a wanted murderer who was framed or something. Jei didn’t take him for the type, but a part of his brain was nagged about how he had literally just murdered an entire bandit camp only hours ago as if it was swatting a couple flies. He was sure it was nothing.

   Raj looked relieved to move along, and as the wheels moved in the snow, he pulled out his book from that cool tail bag of his and started jotting down something. Jei finished off the last few berries in his hand and leaned forward.

   “So what was that all about?” He asked.

   “Some people sent me here to die, apparently.” Raj replied without looking up from his book. “I don’t feel like dying right now.”

   “Uh huh.” Jei nodded. “And the wizard woman?”

   “Madena, from Dawnstar. She’s the court wizard, and we were able to discuss my particular mission in Skyrim.”

   “Which involves dragons.” Jei added, completing the list. “And our mission is to find a dragon.”

   “We find a dragon and acquire its scales, then we can take our time sweet time studying the specimens.” Raj nodded and closed the book, putting it back in the tail bag. He turned to Jei and held his hands in a business-like manner. 

   “There’s no real shame in backing out, you know.”He said to Jei as if that was even an option. Jei shook his head.

   “I’ve got nothing else to do.” He said passively.

   “You know, when I was your age and had nothing to do, I didn’t usually go on crazy missions with perfect strangers.”

   “When you were my age.” Jei rolled his eyes incredulously. “How old even are you, twenty five?” 

   “I’m thirty two.”

   “Oh.” Jei looked away, a little embarrassed. His brain flashed back to the Sabrecat, where Raj has said just that. In Jei’s defense, he always hated math.

   As they rode, the world around changed. It never stayed light for too long around these parts, but the shadows cast by the trees seemed to make the woods dance in the snow. The mountains around them were towering and capped with white. 

   They passed other abandoned forts and a small shrine. The roads were seemingly pretty new, but didn’t seem to be used a lot. An owl hooting in the distance startled Jei.

   Something seemed to be watching him. He thought about his dream, about that deer creature. He thought for sure if they saw something like that in the woods, they would definitely notice. But the only deer that ran near the cart or in the fields of powdery snow before them were the normal type. No constellation deer to be found in these parts. Jei slumped his head into his hands and waited. 

   “So. Cyrodiil.” Raj said, trying to strike up conversation. “What part?”

   “The inner part of the Imperial City.” Jei replied, his shoulders sinking a bit. He didn’t want to make small talk, much less about where he was from, but he supposed it was a necessary evil. He steeled himself for the worst. 

   “Really? I’m from Anvil. Well, I was born in the Marsh.” Raj gestured to his crimson tattoos. “Moved to join with the Synod.” He paused. “You don’t particularly look like Imperial nobility.”

   “What’s that supposed to mean?” Jei snapped angrily.

   “Just that you seem pretty competent.” Raj amended quickly. “I’ve yet to meet a noble in Anvil or Cheydinhal that didn’t seem as if they were from another world.”

   “What makes you think I’m from nobility anyway?” Jei almost barked. He felt his fists tightening up in his lap. “You know the slave trade is alive and well, especially in the Imperial nobility.”

   “No scars, no tattoos.” Raj replied. “Most slaves in Cyrodiil come from their native lands, and since you weren’t born in the Marsh, it’s unlikely you were a part of that.” He stopped himself, and a more sympathetic look flashed on his face. “We can stop talking about this if you want to.” He added, a hand reaching to scratch the back of his neck.

   Jei pouted a bit, but sighed. He was the one who wanted to go along on this journey. He still wasn’t sure why, but he felt drawn to Raj in some way. It was almost as if Jei knew right at that moment that he had to latch on to this other Argonian, this seemingly kind soul, that it was the only way he could move forward from the loss of his previous occupation. He supposed he should be a little less angry about the subject of home. As painful as that was.

   “I’d just rather not talk about it.” He said finally. “Can we change the subject?”

   Raj nodded. “Is there something you’d rather hear about?”

   Jei pondered the question. “You were born in the Black Marsh.” He said. Raj nodded slowly. “Can you… tell me about it?”

   Raj put on a ponderous face. He leaned back into the wooden seat of the carriage, and Jei was afraid he was going to fall out of the side of the damned vehicle. The man opened his mouth, waited a moment, then spoke.

   “The Black Marsh is beautiful and vast.” He began slowly. “Something about it… I’ve been all over the world, from High Rock to Elyswyr, but there’s something special about the way that the Marsh makes me feel when I’m there. It’s as if the trees and the air all reach out as one to embrace me from the second I walk in there to just moments after I leave.

   “The plants there will make you feel like you’re in another world entirely, the trees are as tall as towers and as old as the very dirt they are nested in. Everyone seems to feel like they belong. It’s an ancient place, so full of power and spirit, not even Oblivion can touch it, at least not successfully. It feels like home.”

   He finished with a wispy look to the sky, which was slowly starting to darken. The sun was just peeking over some trees to the west, casting strange shadows all over the roads as they travelled on. 

   Jei felt a small wave of emotion at the way this stranger spoke of a place Jei had never seen. He felt as if this was less a reflection of the place, but more a feeling Raj knew in his heart, one that spoke more about him than anything else. 

   “Why did you leave?” Jei said before he could even think about it. It seemed the only natural question to ask.

   Raj looked Jei in the eye, and something seemed to happen behind them, as if there was an emotion Raj was feeling, but didn’t want to express, or maybe he couldn’t express. He finally just shrugged.

   “The Marsh is home to a rather lucrative jewelry trade, at least now, but all that does is boost tourism. And I never had the patience for it, nor did I farming work or fishing.” He tossed his neck side to side, popping the joints carefully. “I left because there’s no real opportunity, at least not one that involves an actual education. It’s just another place the Empire has uprooted with its policy and left in a worse shape.”

   “That seems a bit cynical.” Jei said with a hint of disgust. 

   “You go where your fortune is.” Raj said shrugging again. “I’ve been all around the world now, and it’s suited me just as well as any boring job in the Marsh. Besides, Anvil is my home now.”

   “What’s so nice about Anvil?” Jei said, a little more disgust on his face. He had been to the western port town, and found only the reek of rotted fish and the filth and squalor that befit a town of questionable sailors. 

   “The advances of magic being made there are nothing short of amazing.” Raj said with more than a touch of whimsy in his voice. “It’s a lax little town with some of the best seafood you’ll ever taste, and it’s full of people from all walks of life, coming to Cyrodiil for a number of reasons. Sure, it’s a far cry from Cheydinhal, where most of my peers were, but any good carriage would take me there in three days time, and through the most beautiful trails the province had to offer.”

   “You make it seem like you’re ready to go back.” Jei said plainly. Raj only nodded. 

   “We all long to be home. Wherever that may be.” He said.

    He had just barely finished the sentence before he stood up with a jolt. The horses had slowed and seemed to be tossing their heads too and fro. Jei saw the urgency in his eyes, and began to look for the cause. 

   Nothing seemed to be around but trees and the rubble of a huge lighthouse. The ruins looked fairly new, as did the trees, which were pitch black as the night fell. The lights above hadn’t even begun to shine. 

   With a creeping chill, Jei heard what it was that unnerved Raj: the soft sound of pounding footsteps in the distance. The gait sounded erratic and strange, but as it got louder, Jei thought it sounded like a three legged animal charging. A silhouette could be seen not far away, closing distance quickly. Jei felt his heart turn cold with fear. He turned to look at Raj, just in time for the larger man to grab hold of him, his skin icy cold and made of steel, as the cart was upturned and a horrible roar uprooted the silence of the night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Kamil and Will for beta reading and showering me with critique and praise  
> Thanks to Anthony for helping me right inconsistencies and deal with my inability to write dialogue, oops.  
> Thanks to Todd Howard for selling me Skyrim 7: Somehow Worse Quality  
> and a Special Thanks to Griffin McElroy. No reason, he just deserves it.


	3. Complications and Commitments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With danger on the horizon and... Nevermind, fuck it, I've decided that this summary needs a little less pomp and zest and a little more question and intrigue. Raj takes up boxing. Jei rolls a nat 20. They all hang out with some cats and a lesbian werewolf. There's some clothing shopping.

-Jei-

   The force of the fall alone should’ve made Jei splatter onto a tree nearby, but Raj covered him in his own body. Like a steel cocoon, they both collided with the trees. They connected with a huge tree trunk with enough force to make it crack under their weight. They both fell to the snow, and Jei rolled out of Raj’s protecting arms to the ground. 

   The sounds alone were terrifying. The thing roared again, and there was a smash. The poor wood of the carriage was torn to splinters, and a ripping sound rang through the air. The horses screamed out in panic, and were ended with the stroke of a massive claw. The driver met a similar fate. It was a bloodbath. 

   Raj grabbed his shoulder and looked at Jei, then held up his finger against his mouth, giving him the universal sound of  _ shut the fuck up _ . Jei tried to slow his breath, but his heart was racing. Before he could stop himself, he turned to the scene of the wreckage. 

   It was a total calamity. Splinters were all that was left of the carriage, that and wrecked wheels and torn planks. The moon seemed to hit the wooden corpse at the perfect angle to make Jei feel even less comfortable. The corpses of the two horses were laid on top of each other, and some  _ thing _ was kneeling over them, glutting itself to their flesh. 

   The thing was horrifying. It looked huge, powerful with silvery white fur shimmering in the moonlight and a bloodsoaked maw. Jei could just make out it’s gnarled, scarred face, with three eyes, two in their normal position and one just above on its forehead. Its mouth was lined with rows and rows of razor sharp teeth.

   Jei’s heart picked up even more. The thing was feasting on the horses like they were only a snack. Jei knew it was only a matter of time before it spotted them and decided to make a meal out of both of them. A creature that big had to have an appetite twice as large.

   “A troll.” Raj breathed softly, gripping Jei’s arm firmly. Jei was so caught up in the moment, he hasn’t noticed his stomach turn at the sight of blood. He fought the urge to gag, but his throat burned. 

   Jei felt Raj’s hand tug him slightly and he turned to look at him. Where Jei was panicked, Raj looked cool and determined. He whispered urgently.

   “I can buy you some time to get a head start. When I say so, you need to run, and don’t you turn back for a second.” He commanded.

   “But I-” Jei tried to say.

   “Rule number one.” Raj said forcefully, as silently as he could. “You run, and you get out of here. Head for the east, and don’t stop until you’re safe.”

   Jei tried again to protest, but a wave of nausea swept over him, forcing him to close his mouth or lose his breakfast. Raj drew his sword slowly, calmly waiting and watching the feasting troll. Jei stood up shakily, trying not to make a sound. His legs were shaking so hard it was difficult to stand up straight.

   What Raj did, at first, was a stroke of brilliance. He took careful aim, then let out a roar, swinging his blade at the tree trunk with enough force to slice the already broken wood in half. The tree’s trunk came plummeting down from on high, only narrowly missing the troll itself. It’s malice filled eyes turned swiftly to Raj, and Jei knelt in preparation to run.

   What Raj did next, however, was questionable. He sheathed his sword and a strange glint ran over his body. Jei watched again as his skin dulled instantly, developing a metallic sheen. He was made of steel. Without a weapon or any tools, Raj charged the troll. “Now! Go!” He yelled.  

   Jei picked himself up and tried to run, but all he could manage was a little hobbled jog before another roar pierced the night. He looked back in horror as Raj descended upon the beast, throwing punches directly at its face. A few hit their mark, but before Raj could find anything really painful, he flashed with green light. His skin was back to the normal greenish color, and the troll took a swing at his chest.

   The claws glanced off his armor, but he was thrown into the air, straight through a tree. Jei felt the dread sink from his throat to his toes. Any blow able to knock him that far and hard would have to have broken several bones. Was his new partner alive? He felt his heart pounding against his chest. A tear formed in his eye, but he didn’t have the time to think of why. Uncertainty hung in the air, like a boat at the edge of a tumultuous waterfall.  The troll bounded over to where he has just sent Raj flying, and sniffed around. 

   The beast found nothing. 

   I’ve got to get out of here, Jei thought to himself, but he couldn’t bare to look away. Just like that, all over again, he was alone. Tears fell freely from his eyes. He lifted himself off of his feet and started to run, but he knew he had made a fatal mistake when he heard the beast grunt. He heard, no, he felt the troll pick up his pace, guided by Jei’s shaky movement, following him. Jei tried to run faster, but this was as fast as his legs could take him, and the beast wasn’t losing any time. 

   Jei ran through the trees. He dodged the bodies of trees, one after another, hoping his irregular movements would throw off the troll, but it remained behind him. Its powerful muscles kept it on its toes, able to change direction almost as fast as Jei did. Slowly but surely, the trees faded around him, and Jei found himself defenseless, out in the open. 

   The valley he found himself in was full of jagged rocks and snow. To his right loomed tall and wickedly sharp mountains, and to his left, he both heard and smelled the roiling waves of the sea. Off in the distance, he could see more trees, but that was too far a run for him to make with this beast behind him. He was low on options.  

   There was something in the distance, though, just on the rocky horizon. Something bright, leaving a plume of smoke in the sky. Jei’s heart burst happily, and he screamed. It was a camp! Perhaps someone could help him. 

   “Troll!!” He shouted at the top of his lungs. The beast was only a yard away from biting his heels at this point, just out of reach, closing the distance quickly. Jei just knew he was about to get tackled into the snow, just before he felt his knee give out in the cold. Jei fell to the ground, knocking the breath from his lungs. The pounding stopped, and Jei rolled over to see the beast standing over Jei, it’s teeth bared. It lifted its head and gave a mighty roar. It was too late. Jei was dead.

   Just before the claws came down on him though, he heard a whistling noise, then a punctuated  _ THUNK! _ . He saw a single bolt the size of his arm, sprout from the creature’s chest, knocking it back a few steps. The sound of a horn pierced the air, and the rallying scream of a woman seemed to come from behind Jei. The troll was distracted. Jei got up and made a run for it.

   What he saw in front of him filled him with more joy than he’d felt in a long time. It was three people, an Orc with a huge crossbow, a Redguard with a strange looking curved sword, and a Khajiit, who drew a bow in the moonlight. Jei took the distraction to his advantage, and stood up, running towards his three defenders. The troll tried to rear up and smack him, but another crossbolt hit its arm just before it could take the swing. The Redguard ran past Jei, stopping short, then corralling him behind the new adventurers. 

   “Stay back! We’ll handle this.” She said with a fierce grin. Jei was startled to see that her teeth were slightly bestial, as if she’d recently switched dentists and didn’t know her new doctor worked exclusively on dogs. 

   She turned and let the piercing scream of her war cry fill the night again as she dove at the troll, covering the ground between them in a heartbeat. She slashed with her weird curved sword, just at the thing’s pectoral, then dove under a slashing claw with the speed of a rabbit. Another cross bolt and an arrow struck the beast, knocking it back ever so slightly. The Redguard dodged another swing of its claws, letting a bit of distance fall between them before she dove back in to attack.

   Jei was stunned at the very acrobatic and pristine coordination between the three. Wherever there was an opening, an arrow and a cross bolt found their mark, and wherever there was a pause in attacks, the sword made a slice into its skin. But for every strike found, every arrow that sprouted from the creature, there was no stopping, no slowing from the creature. It was too strong. 

   Jei ran over to the Orc with the crossbow, who was just reloading. His quiver was at his leg, and seemed to take up most of the space between his hip and his ankle, which was all the more impressive considering how tall the Orc was. He couldn’t have been any shorter than ten foot tall, and his crossbow was enough to weigh significantly more than Jei soaking wet and in steel armor. He was dressed in a blue and red tunic under leather armor that covered his chest and legs, but left his arms exposed. He had a little heart tattoo on his left bicep. Jei almost found it cute, had the man not been too tall and terrifying to really get a good look at his face. 

   “It’s not gonna be enough! Can’t you do something else?”

   “Don’t worry, scaley.” The Orc said in a fairly young voice. “Just get back!” Another crossbolt was let loose, hitting the creature’s left shoulder.

   But just as he said it, the beast caught the Redguard square in the chest. Her iron armor crunched under the blow, and she was sent flying. The Khajiit, who was closest to her called out. “Delia!” Then dropped his bow and ran towards her. 

   The Orc cursed and reached down to his quiver. Another bolt flew at the creature, who was closing space after Delia, but it fell short of it’s mark, making the Orc curse again. “Out of bolts!” He shouted, pulling a dagger (that was, for all intents and purposes, a sword for any other person) and charged at the beast. 

   Jei found himself running with him, just behind him, as the Khajiit pulled his sword to defend Delia from the troll. Delia was alive, and conscious, but she was bleeding heavily from her side, and her armor was shredded from the force of the claws. She held up a hand and started muttering a spell, and a golden light seemed to appear around her hands, wafting between her fingers and her wound. She locked eyes with the Orc, then closed her eyes in focus. 

   The Orc seemed to glow gold, and collided with the beast as hard as he could, sending it flying backwards into the snow. The Orc let out a laugh, then ran to the other two companions.

   “Delia, are you okay?” The Orc said, falling onto his knees in front of her.

   “I’m fine, Grosh.” She barked. “Don’t let that thing get back up or that will change! You’ve got about a minute left on that spell.”

   “Aye aye!” The orc said happily, throwing his hand up on his forehead in a salute. Jei felt the strangest inclination to give him a hug. From the brief view of his face, Jei saw he looked quite young.

   “So what’s the plan?” The Khajiit asked quickly. “Nothing we do seems to harm it.”

   Jei came to his knees with the other two as Grosh ran at the troll, still glowing gold faintly. Delia’s eyes turned to him commandingly. “Can you use a sword?” She barked at Jei.   
   “N...No!” He stammered. “Is there anything else I can do?”

   “Stop crying and keep your head down for right now. Can you fire a bow?”

   Jei wanted to say no again, but his mouth seemed to speak for him as if by some impulse. “Yes!”

   “Then take Kharjo’s bow and see if you can get any hits in on him while we slash at him. Be careful not to hit us, and aim for its weak points.”

   “W...What are those?!” Jei stammered. His brain seemed to rewind and he realized he was crying. He wiped the tears from his eyes quickly, trembling as he took the bow from the Khajiit, Kharjo. 

   “I don’t know! Armpits, eyes, its kneecaps! Just don’t aim for the chest or the arms, all you’ll do is make it mad!”

   Jei nodded, realizing just for a second how in over his head he was before Grosh came flying to their sides, thrown by the troll. He landed in a pile on the ground beside them, and the golden aura on his skin withered away. He laid there, dazed. Kharjo and Delia turned and sprang at the troll, looks of rage and determination on their face. They attacked together, knocking the troll back, then avoiding its arms as they took slice after slice into its skin, all in vain. 

   Jei’s knees shook as he stood up, pulling an arrow from Kharjo’s quiver. He noticed the auroras in the sky, the mystical and beautiful colors, painting the battlefield with majestic lights. He inhaled sharply. If he was going to die tonight, he was going to do it under this beautiful sky. As Grosh groaned beside him, Jei knocked the arrow and took aim, firing at the troll.

   He missed by a mile. 

   Delia turned to look at him nastily before she launched another attack at the creature’s neck. Jei felt the bite of shame rip into his skin. He might’ve blushed a bit. He knew he should’ve just kept his mouth shut. 

   Grosh chuckled wastedly. “You can’t shoot that, can you?” He said. Jei finally got a good look at his face. He couldn’t have been older than 20, with no real remarkable facial hair, and only some sideburns on his round, kinda baby like face. 

   Jei shook his head frantically.

   “We are so dead.” He laughed.

   Jei tried not to take this to heart. 

   As Grosh wallowed in his pain, struggling to stand up, Jei knocked another arrow and took steadier aim. He kept his eyes open for an opening, but something strange happened. He felt his fingers fuzz out, like what happens to your legs after you sit on a rough wooden chair for too long. They seemed to sort of fall asleep, as if all the blood in them was gone, and Jei felt his heart rate pick up. His fingers quivered softly as he felt them loose the string, by no action of his own, and the arrow was let fly. 

   For some peculiar reason, time seemed to slow down. Kharjo had just taken a hit from the troll into his steel breatplate, and was flying back from the blow, while Delia was crouching to avoid the swing of its other arm, her sword lined right for a stab into its armpit, but she didn’t look sure. The millions of cuts they wrought lined the skin of the creature, but they didn’t even seem to bleed, as if this massive creature was made entirely of a strange blubber that kept it protected from the cold. The shaft of the arrow flew true this time, spinning slightly. Jei didn’t know how he’d done that. He thought he was the shimmer of something at the edge of the woods. Maybe it was that constellation deer. Maybe it was nothing. 

   The arrow whistled right into the trolls third eye, right on its forehead, and caught everyone by surprise. Even Jei. It stumbled back, close to the edge of woods behind it, its arms falling and forcing Delia to roll to safety from its flailing arms. Its hands went up to its face in disbelief as much as everyone else was. Had Jei given the final blow? Would this be enough to kill this ravenous beast? 

   There was a pregnant pause while everyone watched as the troll stopped stepping backwards. Its arms fell, but not from limpness, rather from rage. It reared its head back and let out another of its blood curdling roars, then hunched back forward, surveying all four of them as if they were gourmet meals. 

   Before it could move, however, the whistle of a heavy blade cut the air, and the troll arched back, blood spraying from its mouth. A sword, a huge one, had chopped it from behind, deeper than all the slight slashes from before. A figure stood from behind it, and wiped the blood from their face. From  _ his _ face. 

   “I hope no one in particular wanted that kill.” Raj-Ei said, his arm falling to his side in pain. His voice was the usual cocky, lazy roll, as if nothing was amiss. He had a triumphant grin on his face, and his bloodied sword hanging in his left hand. 

 

-Raj-

   His ribs burned. His head felt like he was spinning. He was definitely concussed. Why hadn’t the kid just run? Why hadn’t Jei just run?

   He had it planned out in his head perfectly. Attack the troll, draw its attention so Jei could get back to safety, then turn to stone. He couldn’t be hurt, sniffed out, and would look just like he was a part of the woods. He’d rejoin with his new partner before the sun even rose in the sky. 

   But no, he had to hesitate and stick behind. He couldn’t get too mad, though. All’s well that ends well. His screaming ribs told him otherwise.

_    You know, this is very easily grounds to leave him behind. _ One part of his mind spoke up. Another part chided the thought.  _ You only wanted to keep him safe. And he’s safe. _

   Raj shrugged off the intrusive thoughts as Jei ran up to him, tears in his eyes. Before he could shout no, the boy collided with him, wrapping his arms around him in a big hug. Raj could feel his eyes bugging out as he tried not to scream. His entire body was on fire.

   “Ribs, no hugging, no hugging!” He said almost breathlessly, and the boy detached himself from Raj, stepping back sheepishly. He seemed embarrassed.

   Before him, Raj saw a few of what looked like mercenaries. They each stood up straight to survey this new champion. 

   There was a young Orc boy, wearing leather armor and a well fashioned tunic. His hair, black as the night, was fashioned into a quaint undercut, with a ponytail in the back. He couldn’t have been shorter than 7 foot tall. He had a pudgy, baby face.

   The next was a Khajiit, who looked like he was going to be sick. He wore steel plated armor, and his face closely resembled… What animal was that? Raj wracked his brains before the word  _ Lynx _ came to mind. The poor guy was holding his stomach as if he was going to vomit at any second. 

   The third face… That one was familiar. She looked royal as they come, high cheekbones which were marred with a few scars. She looked like a feral beast, and Raj knew why. Her hair was braided back into one neat row that hung in a ponytail behind her. Raj noticed she had changed her hairdo since last time they’d seen each other. She still wore that armor of hers though. Iron, made with the careful and delicate touch of another friend of theirs. It seemed damaged, but not more than could be repaired. 

   A sly smile curved up from his lips, and his eyes filled with mirth like none other. “Delia.” He said with an edge of enthusiasm in his voice. 

   The woman regarded him like an old friend. “You idiot. You broke your ribs again?”

   “In my defense, it was a fucking troll.” He said, but there was no snap in his voice. He was bursting with excitement.

   Delia grinned, showing the same excitement in her eyes. “Come on back to the camp, I’ll get you all fixed up.”

 

   “I’m sorry.” Raj said for about the fifteenth time as they walked back to Delia’s camp.

   “No excuse! You can turn your entire body into metal, there’s no reason for you to be breaking any bones at all!”

   Raj started to protest, before Delia grabbed his arm and pulled him to sit down at her camp.

   It wasn’t too far from the edge of the woods Raj and Jei had just come from. The tough terrain hid it away like a pit, where the ground had less of the snow and ice so prevalent in the area, and was instead a sort of gravelly dirt. There was a clear path from the camp to the shores below, so close was it that Raj could hear huge chunks of ice bumping together in the turbulent water. Off in the icy walls that held them in, there was the haunting visage of a mammoth skeleton. Delia had obviously had a say in where the campsite would be, this was her kind of style. 

   The camp itself was strangely homey. It was made up of several covered wooden carts, obviously meant mostly for storage, surrounding a newly made fire pit in the dirt. Two horses were off in the distance, tethered to a cart and chowing on some oats. All around the fire were several logs and a wicker tripod. A Khajiit woman, with fur as black as the night and soft blue eyes, sat on the tripod. Next to her on a log was a blonde Nord with well kempt long hair, braided in several places, and some facial tattoos. They spoke to each other in hushed tones as the group entered the camp. 

   Raj recognized the setup from the travelogues he had read on the way here. The Khajiit woman obviously was a merchant, and this was her caravan. She was here for her fortune, and had hired the people following Raj back to the camp to protect her. The Khajiit caravans were more common now than in the years before, as the Renaissance provided no shortage of goods to be sold by any vendor, but this particular caravan owner looked somehow ascendent. She was older, you could tell from the wisps of grey hair that mixed themselves in with the black at the edges of her cheeks. Her entire caravan was more luxurious than seemed necessary. She wasn’t wearing any sort of jewelry herself, but she was well groomed, with her whiskers clipped properly and her soft fur shining with a wonderful luster. She had obviously made a name for herself in Skyrim. 

   Delia and Raj talked during the walk back, roaring with laughter, or in Raj’s case, laughing and then instantly regretting it. They reminisced of the many times they’d seen each other over the years, the quests they had gone on together. It felt good to talk to her, after all that had happened and the stress Raj felt clouding his head. She made him feel like a weight on his shoulders had been lifted. 

   Delia introduced Raj to her two friends, the Orc boy Grosh, and the Khajiit, Kharjo. Kharjo seemed more incapacitated than Raj was, doubled over from the last hit he’d taken from the troll. He looked like he was going to vomit any second, but Delia touched her hand on his shoulder, and he seemed to radiate a golden light. He slowly stood up straight, and he was suddenly fine. Such was Delia’s magic, which had gotten quite a bit more powerful since last they’d seen each other. 

   Everyone sat down on the logs surrounding the fire. Jei sat next to the Nord, who he was eyeing with a sort of panic. Perhaps he was nervous about the situation. Raj could understand how he might feel jumpy. Grosh sat next to Jei and set his crossbow down, polishing it with a rag he picked from his seat. Kharjo ran to one of the wagons and came back with a lyre in his hands. He sat across from the Khajiit woman on a log big enough only for himself and strummed out a tune. Under his breath, Raj heard him singing a song in Ta`agra. A few words stuck with Raj. ‘The moon in the sky, and under my chin, home is close but so far from me.’ It was beautiful. 

   Delia sat Raj down on a log across from Jei and Grosh, and helped him take off his steel chestplate. He sat it down on his leg, and she reached out and put her hands on the sides of his head. They shared a look in each others eyes before hers turned into gold. 

   The pounding headache Raj had since his fight with the troll subsided. It all but disappeared, leaving behind a feeling like he had just woken up from a soft pillow. His vision, which he hadn’t even noticed was so blurry, cleared, and he saw the world as crisp and as clear as it could be seen. 

   Delia moved her hands down slowly, and Raj caught a glimpse of the magic she was working. Her hands had a sort of fog running through her fingers, a rich gold fog that glowed with every breath she took, like the two actions weren’t independent of each other. As she touched the sides of his chest, just below his armpits, he felt a profound warmth seep into his skin, through his bones, voiding a cold he hadn’t noticed before. The pain in his abdomen, where his broken ribs ached, faded into nothingness. More than anything else now, all he felt was hungry. He realised it had been quite a while since he had last eaten. 

   Delia pulls her hands away and sighs, the white and brown and black returning to her eyes. She seems to adjust, to realign herself with where she is, checking her posture and position to be sure she really is where she is. 

   Raj took a second as well, admiring the feeling that is now drifting through his body. Restoration magic has a way of solving problems you never realised you had. Raj’s stomach felt less bloated, his heart felt less hurried. His blood pressure subsided to a healthy rate and for the first time in weeks, he didn’t feel a slight soreness in his legs. He felt brand new. 

   Finally, he reached down and picked up his chestplate, fastening it back on. Delia took her chestplate off and surveyed it ponderously. There was a concerned expression on her face. Raj looked at the armour himself. 

   It had a huge gash through it, where the claws had raked into the thin and light iron and just barely cut the skin below. Delia had healed herself, obviously, but the armour wasn’t as easily mended. As idle voices talked amicably around the fire, she sat in silence, a longing silence. How long had it been since she had been home?

   “She can definitely repair that.” Raj said encouragingly, and Delia smiled.

   “I know she can.” She set it aside and stretched her arms out. “By the gods, I miss her. I’ve been with this caravan for months now, and we haven’t once stopped near Solitude.”

   “I’m surprised she even let you go. After the wedding, she seemed adamant about keeping you close by.”

   Delia pointed at Grosh, who had finished his crossbow polishing and was singing heartily with Kharjo, who had picked up his voice. “I’m teaching him. He asked for an apprenticeship, and Ester decided she could part with me for the sake of education.”

   “Oh, so he’s your apprentice now.” Raj nodded. A quick look over him yielded a definite answer: his knife and armour were definitely made by Delia’s wife, Ester, a blacksmith in Solitude. “I hear apprenticeships are becoming more frequent, even in Skyrim.”

   “It’s true. Colleges are filling up, professionals are getting apprentices. Everyone seems to be looking for an education these days.” Delia pondered for a second. “It’s nice, actually. Grosh and I work well together, he takes good care of his weapons, and he is always ready to learn. I never considered this type of work to be beneficial to me, but it has been.”

   Raj definitely noticed a change for the better. Delia used to be a touch scrappy and unkempt. But here she was now, with clean armour and well groomed hair. Her shotel was already clean of troll blood, and her dagger was clean as well. Usually, she would’ve looked a mess, but now she looked even more regal than she ever had. She seemed to glow in the moonlight of a waxing gibbous. 

   “So who’s your new apprentice?” Delia asked. 

   Apprentice? “You mean Jei?” Raj asked.

   Delia nodded. 

   “Oh, he’s not my apprentice. He’s a friend I picked out of a bad spot. He’s helping me with some business here, and in return I’m keeping him safe and such.”

   “You’re going to have fun with that. He doesn’t know how to use a sword or a bow.” She remarked with a smirk.

   “I intend to teach him, of course.”

   “So you’re teaching him the skills of your trade and then passing him on in the world, realizing that he will do the same as a career.” Delia said flatly. “That’s an apprentice, Raj.”

   “Oh.” Raj said softly. “I guess you’re right.”

   Raj looked over at Jei, who was talking back and forth with the Nord, using his hands to talk. It was kinda cute, but the Nord seemed to be staring at Raj judgmentally. Raj hoped he wasn’t being bad mouthed. 

   “So.” Delia asked. “How’s Got?”

   Raj’s heart fell. He let out a trembling sigh. Delia noticed the reaction and put her hand on Raj’s knee, concern flooding her eyes. “What happened?”

   “He’s dead.” Raj said softly. “He’s dead, and it’s all my fault.”

   “Raj, no.” Delia said, soothing him with her voice. Something about the way she spoke could heal a man just as much as her magic could, but Raj couldn’t stop. He felt his eyes water and his chest hurt. A lump formed in his throat, for the second time in a day.

   “I’m sure you meant nothing of it.” Delia said comfortably. “Do you want to talk about it?”

   “No.” Raj said flatly. “It’s the Synod’s fault too. They went too far this time.”

   “You don’t have to tell me what happened.” Delia said softly. “But don’t blame yourself. You’ve got more important things to do than linger in the past.”

   Raj wished he could do that. He wiped a tear from his cheek. 

   The conversations around the campfire slowly whittled into yawns and stretching. Kharjo put up first, walking to one of the empty carts and falling asleep in it. He snored a bit. Grosh found it a bit amusing. 

   Delia was second, but she curled up on a sleeping bag under a blanket at the foot of the sleeping cart. Raj figured she was more comfortable there, she had been adventuring so long that sleeping in the open air felt like second nature. Raj stood and stretched his arms. Jei looked like he wouldn’t sleep in a million years. The poor thing must’ve been panicked out of his mind. 

   Before Raj could say anything, the black Khajiit spoke. “Ahkari sees your apprentice is without arms and armour.” She said smoothly. Her voice sounded much younger than she seemed. “I would be happy to outfit you at a discounted price, as thanks for killing that troll.”

   “It won’t be neces-” Raj started, but he caught himself. Jei seemed to be shivering in the night air, his hands ever outstretched for the fire. His tattered clothes were soaked with water, freezing at the edges. Every movement Jei made seemed labored and feeble. Raj sighed. “Do you have any furs?”

   “More than the ones on my back, darling.” She said with a chuckle. “Bring the boy over and I’ll get him all fixed up.”

 

   It wasn’t long before Jei was outfitted with fur boots and bracers, wearing a red and brown tunic and a pair of pants. A small, well fitted chestplate of steel, lightweight and easy for a tenderfoot like Jei, sat by him. He sipped on a warm drink, what Ahkari had called ‘xocolatl’. It was a deep brown and wafted with a somewhat spicy fragrance. Everyone else had already eaten, but Akhari provided some bread and rice with some red pepper salmon she had bought last time she was in Winterhold. Raj and Jei both seemed to love the flavour.

   The Nord went to sleep just after seeing Jei outfitted in his new armour. Something seemed to play in the Nords eyes, and he walked over to Raj and gave him a firm handshake. 

   “He’s a good boy. You be sure to take care of him.” He said, as if he knew the both of them for years. Raj nodded, nonetheless. He would ask Jei about him later. 

   The Nord was fast asleep as Jei sipped on his drink. Either it was very bitter or not very good, because every sip made Jei’s face curl into a look of near disgust. Ahkari had called it a delicacy. Perhaps Khajiit tastes were just like that. 

   There was an awkward moment where Raj felt he was supposed to say something. Something profound, he felt he needed to say something to sort of deepen a bond between Raj and Jei that he wasn’t sure existed. As they peered into the endless colourful skies of Skyrim, past the millions of stars they beheld, a part of Raj’s heart felt aglow, like this was his chance to do something that he wouldn’t regret. The small boy to his left just sipped his drink again. What was going on in his head? What was going on in Raj’s head, even?

   He sighed, and it seemed louder than he had expected. Jei jumped a bit, startled. He looked at Raj with those big orange eyes. He seemed to ask a question that he couldn’t form words for. Say something you big idiot. 

   “We need to talk.” Raj said firmly. It sounded so much more rough and angry this way that Raj was caught off guard.  _ Way to go, asshole, he thinks you hate him. _ A voice said in his head, but that wouldn’t do. He shoved the voice out and sighed once again. 

   “Back at the cart with the troll. I told you to run and you hesitated.” He started. “I don’t know why, but at that moment, you put yourself in danger. If you had just run, you could’ve made it away and even to this camp without it even being an issue. I told you I need you to listen when I tell you to do things, and you didn’t.”

   He turned to look back at the stars. “You may not like it, but you’re pretty young. You’ve got a whole life ahead of you with more possibilities than I think you realise. And in that moment, it all teetered on the edge of a cliff. Chance isn’t as kind to some as it was tonight, and I’m glad you’re safe and all, but you can’t take chances like that. When I tell you to run, I need you to run.”

   Something in the back of Raj’s mind shuddered as he took a breath in, and the shivering came to his breathing as well. He felt like he was going to cry again. But he didn’t. He said the next few words with a power he never thought he could put into words. 

   “I can’t see you get hurt like that, okay? I need you to listen to me next time. Just… Everything will be okay if you listen to me.”

   He let those words linger in the air around them. The moon stood out in the sky, almost full. A little thought filled his mind as he looked down below him to see Delia, asleep in the moonlight. Had this been a full moon, she would no doubt be hunting with the rest of the werewolves, but she laid their, placid as a lake. The world really is more dangerous than anyone promised it would be, wasn’t it?

   Raj was caught off guard by a shaky sob coming from Jei. He turned to see what was the matter, and the boy had a tear streaming down his face. He turned again to meet eyes with Raj, and his sunset eyes were filled with tears. 

   “I thought I’d lost you.” He whined with a voice broken and battered with grief. “I thought you had died to that fucking thing and were lost in the snow.”

   Raj felt awful. He’d never thought of it that way. Jei had seen so much death in one night, only for the next person who he could call friend to be tossed away by a raving beast the night after. He was alone, and then suddenly he wasn’t. He had someone to journey with, and however superficial that bond was, however promising it was, it was all the more painful to see it ripped away in a way he had no control over. Jei wept tears of hopelessness and weakness, merely a pawn in a world that didn’t care about him, surrounded by people who didn’t care about him. 

   Raj grabbed his shoulder firmly and pulled him into his side, sort of making an awkward side hug. He was a foot taller than him. They both gazed out into the stars together, and Raj knew what he was supposed to say. As if by divine intervention, he spoke, and each word was laden with a promise he knew he could keep to a boy who had nothing but him. 

   “I’m not going to leave you. I’m not getting lost to you like that.” He said calmly, and Jei’s shaking ceased. He sniffled weakly. 

   “Promise?”

   “I promise.” Raj said with his words and with his heard. “I’m not going to leave you alone.”

   They looked into the sky for what seemed like hours. It was very late, and they would have to start trekking as soon as it was safe in the morning. Raj didn’t expect much in the way of add-ons to the group, either. It was just him and Jei tomorrow, til Winterhold, in the East. 

   “Why don’t you go get some sleep?” Raj said. Jei nodded and set down his mug, still half full of the sweet smelling liquid. He took the sleeping bag Ahkari had provided and walked into the sleeping cart, laying down on the planks. Raj looked back into the sky after Jei got comfortable, lingering only for a second to count his breaths. 

   The cool whispers of the night didn’t come to him. He marveled in the sky before him, watching the ever changing tapestry unfold for him. He felt a presence come close to him, where Jei had just been leaning, and Ahkari fell in beside him. She was marvelling at the sky too. 

   “It’s not like the one I see at home.” She said quietly. “I suppose the same is said for the Marsh?”

   Raj nodded. “It really is strange here, isn’t it?”

   “Yes.” Ahkari agreed, taking Jei’s cup and offering it to Raj. He took a sip of the bittersweet spicy liquid, so smooth and warming. “Ahkari is pleased she has lived here so long, despite the cold and people.”

   “You’ve been from home a long time?” Raj asked passively. 

   “For decades.” Ahkari answered wistfully. “But not long enough that I don’t remember the bad parts.”

   Raj looked at her in surprise. She was smiling to the sky. 

   “A sort of clairvoyance has come to me in my old age.” She said. “Delia told me about you, as well. About your quest and the accident.”

    She looked back at him. “Do not think that your home is lost, my friend. You never truly lose a home. You carry that in yourself for as long as you can, and then you do the next logical thing.”

   “What’s that?” Raj said. 

   Ahkari chuckled. “Your home seems so far away, and the promise that you make it there is tainted with ifs and countless questions. And it’s all you want! To be home again!”

   She looked back to the sky. “But you forget that your home has changed before.” She stood up and started to walk over to where her own personal sleeping cart was. Raj felt a bitter taste run through his mouth, and he wanted to say something. Maybe tell her she was wrong, that Raj knew he was going to make it home, that this home was the only thing he wanted. He loved Anvil, he loved Cyrodiil, even if it was full of spineless mages. There was so much beauty there that he couldn’t replace. He couldn’t just leave it behind. 

   “I can’t.” Raj said finally, and Ahkari turned suddenly. “I can’t just leave my home behind.”

   Ahkari gave a toothy smile, like she knew he was going to say those exact words. 

   “Can’t you?”

   She climbed into her cart and closed the curtains, insulating herself from the cold world outside. 

   Raj mulled the words over in his head until they came back stale. The bitter taste in his mouth only got stronger as he looked deep into the night, so impressive before, now just a mocking gesture. He grit his teeth and shook his head in defiance. 

   He suddenly felt alone. He sat down next to Delia and stared at the moon, as if just wishing on it would take him home. 

   The lonely feeling wouldn’t subside. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Kamil and Will for beta reading and showering me with critique and praise  
> Thanks to Anthony for helping me right inconsistencies and deal with my inability to write dialogue, oops.  
> Thanks to Todd Howard for selling me Skyrim 8: One Strange Item was Added That No One can Find  
> and a Special Thanks to Griffin McElroy. No reason, he just deserves it.


	4. The Mage's Duel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jei has some freaky dreams. Raj punches someone in the face. They get in troooooubleeee.

-Jei-

_    And so began the cycle of years and years of training in only a few nights of dreams.  _

_    Jei seemed to wake where he was before, in the grove of blood red, bony trees. The sky was just like before, the same inky black expanse with red stars, like eyes staring down at him with cold contempt.  He could smell the stagnated air around him, so peculiar was this dream. It was a rancid earthy smell, and the back of his neck prickled at the thought of snakes.  _

_    He was wearing his new clothes, and on his side, he felt a strange weight. His hand crept to hold the handle of a sword, sheathed just at his side. He drew it cautiously and surveyed the blade. It was very lightweight, short, and thin, seemingly made of steel and with a strange haze over it. It was almost as if the sword had several forms, all overlaid over each other, making the blade amorphous and undefined. He gave it a little spin in his hands. It was perfect for a novice like him.  _

_    As he resheathed the sword, he looked back up, feeling a cold presence before him. Instead of a deer, he saw a lamb, the same eyes and the same incorporeal form of stars and illusions, but much smaller and more feeble. The lamb was still huge, its nose coming up to Jei’s stomach. The lamb didn’t open its mouth or move, but it spoke into his mind, with the same effect of a person scraping their nails on a blackboard.  _

**_Welcome back, my lamb._ ** _ It said with the same metallic, whimsical voice.  _ **_It is time for your training to begin. You have much to learn before you become my wolf._ **

_    Jei tried to speak, but nothing came out. His mouth didn’t even open. He struggled with the sensation for a second, trying desperately to unhinge his jaw, but to no avail. He grimaced and stared the lamb in the eye, but it was gone. The lamb dissipated, and in its place stood the figure of a man, crafted from mist and light, a hunter presumably from his garb and the pelts over his shoulder. There was a huge chunk missing from the abdomen of his spectral form, as if his death had come at the hands of a huge bear. His face was all but gone, a blank slate, like a mannequin. The hunter’s form drew a sword slowly. And suddenly, without warning, he charged at Jei.  _

_    The hunter took a wide slash at Jei’s chest. Instinctively, Jei raised his arms to block it, but it was a sword, and he was just flesh. He felt the blade sink through the skin on the underpart of his arms, and the cuts screamed in agony. He felt himself fall to the ground, but he didn’t know how. He was shocked at this feeling, this vulnerability. Dreams didn’t hurt like this. Jei wanted to shout out, but again, no sound came from his mouth. He tried feverishly to get back on his feet, but the hunter was upon him now, sword pointed down at Jei menacingly. It fell deftly down on Jei’s chest. _

_    His body called out in the most pain he’d ever felt in his life, and his vision slowly got hazy and red. Jei could feel every inch of the blade as it was pulled from his body and thrust in again. The second stab hurt worse than the first, and Jei could feel his breathing slowing down, causing him to panic even more. It felt like there was an elephant sitting on his chest and he couldn’t feel is toes. His head spun as a third stab came down into him. He was dying. His mind went wild, and a static seemed to buzz between his ears as the world feverishly fuzzed out of existence. _

_    And just like that, he was standing back up, like nothing had happened. Everything felt normal, and when he hastily checked his body, he saw not a cut or clip on his skin. The hunter stood before him, in the same position as before, sword drawn. Jei held his breath. His hand drifted to his sword. _

_    The hunter surged forward again, with the same wide slash at the chest, but Jei felt ready this time. He drew his sword out just in time and the hunter’s blade glanced off his own, sending a shock down Jei’s arms. The clang of metal on metal felt like a siren, and Jei’s blood seemed to boil. He felt excitement rise in his throat at his success. But it was all too soon. _

_    And the hunter recovered with a strike at Jei’s throat. The blade bit into his flesh, tearing a gash into the soft and vulnerable skin. Jei inhaled in shock from the pain, but no sooner did he try to draw him his breath than he realized he couldn’t. His own blood was trickling down his throat, and down his chest. He was, again, dying. The world began to phase out once again, and several throbs came to Jei’s head, pounding against his skull.  _

_    The world reset once more. The hunter bore down on him again, same position, same stance, same expressionless and empty face. It was the same scenario, in the same spots. Jei drew his sword preemptively this time. Though not aloud, Jei muttered a curse under his breath. Any second, he would have to dodge another wide slash. And this time, he’d be ready.  _

 

   Jei woke slowly as a hand pushed at him feverishly. His eyes fought to open, and he saw Grosh, with a cute smile on his pudgy baby face. He grinned when Jei finally came to. 

   “Master Raj sent me to get you!” He said enthusiastically. It was almost comical to see him peeking his head through the entrance in the cart. He took up a much larger portion of the cart than he probably should have. “He said you should eat something before you two head for Winterhold.”

   Grosh bolted out of the sleeper cart before Jei could even react in any real way. As sleepy eyes surveyed their surroundings, Jei realised he had been the last person asleep in the cart. 

   Jei slowly sat up, yawning, his mind swimming from the visions from his sleep. The dream had been repetitive from there on. The hunter appeared, and they fought until the hunter landed a fatal hit, and then they restarted. Over and over again, Jei learned how to dodge, to parry, to roll away from potential attacks. At first, it seemed as if it was an impossible task, but after what seemed like weeks, he began to win some fights. He must’ve died hundreds of times, however. 

   The very concept of the dream was almost too much for Jei to wrap his head around. It felt like a normal dream as it was happening, but now that Jei was awake, he felt guarded with it. It felt like it was wrong, like it wasn’t normal. How could it be normal? And what was the avatar of his strange dreams, this form-changing harbinger of pain and bloodshed that he seemed to be? What was happening to him?

   Jei resolved to leave any further questions for whatever it was that was speaking to him. He couldn’t speak on these dreams, but it seemed as if the beast knew what was in his mind. Maybe he could get some answers from him next time. 

   Jei looked around, feeling a sort of dissociation from time. Years passed in the dream, but today was just the day after yesterday. Just a day after the troll attack. Just one day.

   He stood up, his legs sore from the running he had done yesterday, and he rolled up his sleeping bag. The tasks seemed so small now, but it helped him focus. He had been given a small bag, which he packed with his sleeping bag and the peculiar and note-ridden book Raj had given him to watch over. 

   Raj’s notes. Jei brushed the book and flipped from page to page, reading what was inside. It was nothing he could understand, just words and analyses and such, jumbled together like some sort of puzzle. Jei was sure it meant something, but he couldn’t decipher anything from it. The closed the book and he slid it into his backpack, just when he heard the cloth door part, and another person boarded the sleeping cart. 

   It was Delia. She looked well rested from last night, her face relaxed and a contented smile sitting on her lips. She was wearing the same armour as the night before, with the huge gash and all. In her hands, she held two plates of what looked like buttered rice and some more of Ahkari’s peppered salmon. Jei’s mouth watered as Delia offered him a plate. 

   They sat together and ate in silence. Delia seemed to be surveying Jei intently, which made him slightly uncomfortable, but as he inhaled the food before him, he realised no animosity in her eyes, no harm to be done. She simply watched him with an air of concern and curiosity. 

   “You’ve been having dreams.” She said finally, breaking the silence. 

   Jei choked on his rice a bit, swallowing roughly. The red pepper didn’t make it any easier. “Y… Yeah.” He wheezed out, still coughing a bit. 

   “Dreams in a world of red and white?” Delia coaxed. 

   Jei regained his composure  eyed the woman cautiously. He nodded this time, slowly, cautiously. How could she know?

   “Hmm.” She said, finishing off her plate. “Wonderful food, isn’t it? The salmon in Winterhold is simply marvelous.”

   “How did you know about my dreams?” Jei almost barked, hoping to bring the conversation back.

   “I’ve had the same ones.” Delia responded mystically. “The same place in between two pitchblack mountains, with a huge deer speaking to me.”

   Jei heard the words, but it took a second for his brain to register the statement. Was this an actual place? Why had she been there? And what was the deer?

   “I’m sure you’re swimming with questions.”She said suddenly. She held out a finger in a silencing gesture. “I wish there was more I could do, but I can’t answer them. Not now, at least. The more you know, the more danger you are in.” 

   “Why can’t you?” He almost whined, his brain conveniently shuffling the last part of that away. Jei couldn’t be in any danger from some creepy dreams. “You’re the only person I can talk to this about.”

   “Does it feel bad?” She asked, an eyebrow raising. She was sitting calmly now, her hands on her knees. Something about her posture made her look like she was a queen. 

   “Well… No.” Jei said truthfully. “I died a lot last night. But it doesn’t feel like this is an intruder in my head.”

   “It feels like he’s always been there.” She ended, nodding. “Are you aware of my… furry problem?”

    Jei raised an eyebrow. “You have a defiant cat?” He guessed. Delia laughed. 

   “I’m a werewolf, Jei.” She explained, amusement painted on her face. “I feel the nightly calls of the hunt, and every full moon, I succumb to it and participate in it.”

   “That’s…” Jei didn’t know how to respond. “Why are you telling me this?”

   “Because I want you to know something. What you’re dealing with, these dreams and visions, they aren’t an original experience. Anyone else who has them will look at you and know you have them too.” 

   She pulled her hair back, as if trying to think of how to phrase this next part. “I want you to know that Raj knows I’m a werewolf. He and my wife helped me stage my death in a place that was ashamed of me, so I could live a new life, free of the shame and the prying eyes.”

   “Your wife?” Jei asked, a little derailed.

   “My wife.” Delia repeated, dead serious. “The woman who made my armor and weapons. The love of my life. My wife. Is something the matter?”

   Jei felt his face go red. His throat was dry. “No, no, go on.”

   Delia looked him over for a second then rolled her eyes. “What I want to say is, you can’t always trust the other people who have these visions. They will want to kill you or hunt you. And in times like that, you need someone you can trust.” 

   She looked Jei dead in the eyes. “Raj is a person you can trust.”

   Jei looked at her closely. In this moment, this little slice of time, she looked almost centuries old, much more stern and serious than she had just the night before as she laughed with mirth around the fire. She had looked so peaceful when she slept, so fierce and alive when she fought, but now she just looked scared. No, not scared. She looked weathered. Like she knew she could kill ninety nine foes and still have to worry about one more. What had she seen in her life?

   “Anyway, I elected not to tell Raj last night. But I noticed it the second I saw you. You’ll learn to recognize it too.” Delia started standing up, picking up the plates she had brought with her. “He’s outside now, if you want to tell him. Just, uhh, be sure no one else is around. Outsiders don’t take the knowledge as well as Raj does.”

   “Wait.” Jei said just before Delia could leave the sleeper cart. She looked back at him, and Jei noticed one final emotion, one final nail in the coffin. He saw pity.

   “I know you can’t tell me what this is, or why it’s happening to me.” He said. “But, can you tell me this? Does it ever stop?”

   The look of pity deepened. 

   “Not for long.”

   And she left the cart, leaving Jei to wonder even more what this strange plight was. 

 

   Jei slipped out of the cart just behind Delia, his bag around his shoulder. The sun flashed against snow, and the brightness was too much for Jei at first. He waited a second for his eyes to adjust, his tired body rebooting to the conditions around him. 

   It was still cold, but the sun beat down on the camp, and the smells of cooking food filled the air around them. There was little chatter, but the roar of a fire in the distance. For a second, Jei got the feeling that he was sitting in his own shoulders, watching the world from some place far beyond his own eyes. It was disorienting, but it passed as soon as it came. 

   Delia stretched a bit before she got her move on. She walked over to Grosh, who was eating something similar to what they had, but with mushrooms instead of fish. Those two began conversing with each other, and it looked like Delia was giving him orders. 

   Jei scanned the camp, newly lit with the bright sun. Kharjo and Ahkari were beside one of the carts to the side. Knelt over the fire, they seemed to be arguing over the proper amount of spice to put on a piece of fish. Jader seemed to be gone, his friend from the bandit camp disappeared yet again. His heart fell a bit to see he hadn’t woken up early enough to at least say goodbye. 

   Raj was near the newly roaring fire, his skin painted with the full sheen of steel, reflecting the flames off as he did pushups. He did them deliberately and slowly, all the way down til his muzzle almost touched the ground, then back up. The amount of discipline this must’ve taken was impressive, but Jei also noticed something else. He seemed to shake with his own weight, and it became apparent to Jei that the reason he had turned himself to steel was to raise his own weight. He must’ve weighed at least twice the normal amount. 

   Jei thought about what Delia said. He looked at Raj, pushing up and down in the dirt, grunting softly. They were alone now, or as alone as they would get in the camp, so could Jei really tell him? Hell, why did he have to tell anyone? He and Raj were going on a journey together anyway. He would be there to protect him, of course, even if it was against angry people with weird dreams. Jei sat down by the fire, contemplating his actions deeply. Perhaps too deeply. 

   Raj finished his set and sat up straight, breathing heavily. With a strange green flash, his skin turned back to the green it usually was. He threw his arms to the side, stretching his toned muscles out.

   “How do your clothes feel?” He asked as Jei sat down beside the fire. 

   “Oh, they feel great.” Jei said, lost in his contemplation.

   “Are they gonna be warm enough?” Raj asked as he lowered himself to his arms again, his rest over. He began ironing out another set of these ultra-weight pushups, grunting softly as he lifted himself off the ground. 

   “I think so.” Jei replied. 

   “That’s good.” Raj started on ten complete pushups, his voice bucking every time he spoke. “I don’t suspect it’ll be too cold once we get moving, but Winterhold is bound to be really cold.” Once he was finished, he stood up again, giving his arms another good stretch. The strong smell of sweat touched the air slightly. “Hey, could you grab me my sword?”

   At this point, Delia lowered the sword she was cleaning and made an exasperated noise. She glared at Raj when he spoke, as if he had said a very naughty word. Jei wasn’t exactly sure why.

   With a sweep of the eyes, he spotted both of Raj’s swords, the Elvish one and his original steel one. They were sitting off beside one of the carts, both sheathed in their scabbards. Seems easy enough. Jei drifted from his seat over to them. 

   The swords were taller than he was by a couple inches. Both of them gleamed in the light of the sun. He heard a little stirring behind him, and turned to see that both Raj and Delia were eyeing him intently, with the sort of interest someone has towards an animal, just waiting to see what happens next. Their curious eyes were trying to figure out how Jei would approach this task. It was uneasy. It was only a sword, it wouldn’t bite him. Would it? Jei reached out to grab it from its battered leather scabbard and tried to lift it. 

   It must’ve weighed a ton. Jei pulled back just enough to get it to budge from where it was laying, but it fell onto the ground, almost bringing Jei with it. Raj made a choking sound and let out a loud laugh. Jei felt his cheeks grow red. With a second effort, Jei was able to lift it from where it sat, but it was still an awkward process. How could someone swing something this heavy? Hell, how much did it weigh?

   Jei carried it over awkwardly, only to see Raj’s face lit with amusement. Delia was chuckling as well, but Raj seemed to be bursting at the seams after his first outburst. He was pulling a joke on him, Jei thought. He screwed his face into a look of pure rage, but all that did was make Raj laugh even more. 

   Delia was hanging her face in her hands, but she was laughing a bit herself at this point. The way she acted about the whole ordeal made Jei think this wasn’t the first time Raj had pulled this particular joke. As Jei brought Raj the sword, Raj took it from his awkward two handed hold with one single hand, lifting it impressively. Jei’s face felt hot, and he couldn’t tell why.

   “I’m sorry.” Raj spit out with his laughs. “I couldn’t help it. That’s always such a good joke.”

   “You’re being mean.” Delia chided. 

   “Very mean.” Jei added angrily. 

   “Fine, fine.” Raj said, toning his laugh down. “I’m sorry, Jei. Thank you for getting my sword.”

   “How heavy even is this thing?” Jei barked incredulously. 

   “It’s a little heavier than most people would like their swords to be, but I can handle, given that I have… variable weight.” Raj said thoughtfully. “It’s about 60 pounds in all. Seventy with the scabbard.”

   Jei found himself barely able to respond to that. He lost the ability to really be angry about the joke. Raj must be stronger than an ox to even lift this thing with his arms straight, let alone swing it around.

  “Wow.” Jei could only just get out. Raj nodded and walked a ways away from them, drawing the sword and laying the scabbard on the ground near him. He started swinging the sword in practise, and Jei realised that there were times that he had to use his weight to counter the overwhelming force the sword putting out. It was like an impressive dance.

   Jei watched him. His muscles bulged and pulsed as sweat ran down them, with each form and pose he forced himself into in this deadly dance of swinging steel. It was almost like he was in pain, but Raj’s eyes looked determined in places, where he grunted and breathed heavily, where he threw the sword successfully into a strike. Each move seemed different than other motions Raj had made before, too. More often than not, Raj’s motions were sort of unremarkable and deft, as if he did them without thinking about them at all. This practise, this routine, was the most elegant thing Jei had ever seen from his new friend. It was beautiful to watch. 

    Jei had to stop himself from staring when Raj finally finished and set town on the log next to him, huffing softly. His mind travelled back to reality, and to the conversation Delia had had with him. He looked around to see the campsite was empty. Delia must’ve walked away while Raj was practising. 

   “Hey, uhhh.” Jei started clumsily. “Raj?”

   “Yeah?”

   “I want to talk to you about something.” Jei said with some finality. Raj sat down across him.

   “What’s up?” Raj asked. 

   Just like that, Jei second guessed himself. He couldn’t tell Raj. How could he? ‘Hey, I’m having dreams of this weird deer demon and also getting sliced to pieces with a sword by faceless dudes. How’s your morning been?’ No. That wouldn’t work. Delia had said Jei could trust him, but could he? For that matter, could Jei trust Delia?

   “I, uhhh…” Think of something you dullard, he’s staring at you now. “I wanted to talk about something.”

   “So you’ve mentioned.” Raj said playfully. “Is something wrong?”

   “No, no.” Jei looked at his feet. “I just wanted you to know.”

   Then suddenly it hit him. Brunner! This was the perfect time to bring his brother up.

   “Back at the bandit camp, a few weeks ago, my brother, who was there with me, went out to hunt. He never came back.” He tried to sound authentic with it, but he felt corny.

   Raj nodded. “Jader told me.” He said.

   “What?”

   Raj reached his hand out and put it on Jei’s shoulder firmly. “Jader left a while ago, but not before he talked to me. He told me about you and made me promise to protect you.” Raj grinned. “I told him it wouldn’t be a problem. But he did mention your brother, told me you might go looking for him.”

   Jei nodded slowly. “So you know I have to find him.”

   “I know you have to try.” Raj said with a nod of his own. “And I’m willing to take that on as well, granted you follow my rules. If we find any clues as to where he might be, we’ll investigate them.” Raj stood up. “Hey, Jei?”

   “Yeah?”

   “Thanks for being honest with me.” Raj said. A smile flashed on his face that made Jei rethink whether or not he should trust Raj. He felt horrible. “This journey could get rough, and it’s nice to know you can talk to someone about things. I want you to know you can be open with me about things.”

   Jei’s heart dropped a bit in guilt. If only he had been honest. “Yeah.”

   “I’m gonna go see if Ahkari can cook me something before we go, alright? Be sure you’ve eaten too, it’s going to be a long walk from here.”

   Jei nodded, and Raj walked away, with miles between them at only a few steps. 

 

-Raj-

   With the sun still rising in the sky, Raj and Jei said their goodbyes and left the caravan. Ahkari bid them a kind farewell, but not before giving Raj a deep blue cloak, saying that it made him look more dignified and far less cold. Raj accepted the gift from his new friend and slung it over his left shoulder, and they walked on. Perhaps they would meet Akhari’s caravan again.

   Though his mind lingered on the conversation they had had the night before, Raj couldn’t be mad at Ahkari. She had accommodated two sudden additions to her already large entourage quite nicely, she had cooked them all food and been so kind as to provide for Jei. The cloak was just another testament to her generosity. 

   Raj took both swords on his back and started walking, Jei at his heels as they crunched through the snow. It couldn’t be long now to Winterhold. 

   The walk wasn’t particularly long or hard. The bitter snow merely danced to the ground, and the winds were low and soft. It was, however, incredibly boring. Raj and Jei walked in near silence, very few words being tossed back and forth as they followed the newly laid road. Eventually, they had crossed the vast space without trees, and entered what seemed to be a small wooded entryway to the city of Winterhold.

   Raj had done his reading in the travelogues. He had been told of the Great Collapse, and how the locals feared the college and resented magic. He had heard of how much was destroyed, leaving only three or four buildings in the entire city intact. So what Raj didn’t expect when the trees cleared and he was the city was about 50 buildings, and even more being built. 

   It was a busy center, almost like Dawnstar, but while Dawnstar was a mining and port city, Winterhold made its bones off of having one of the biggest fishing trades in all of Skyrim. All around them was the smells of rich foods, of crushed red pepper and salted meats, of strawberries and snowberries, freshly picked or imported and being prepared into wonderous dishes. The smell of baking bread was a welcome one, but mingled with it was a far more alluring aura of cinnamon and sugar. Though Raj had eaten only an hour before, he felt his stomach groan with piqued curiosity. Perhaps soon, my friend, he told it. 

   The city itself had buildings in the two and three stories, all over the place, perhaps shops or hotels, perhaps homes or schools. The streets were bustling back and forth with people, some obviously tourists with food in their hands and relaxation in their eyes, others businessmen with no time to spare. They all moved as one in the streets, through the buzzing sound of conversation and their own footsteps, through the sounds of work and labour, the clang of a blacksmith’s anvil and the chopping and nailing of wood. It looked so jovial. 

   Raj thought back on Ahkari’s words. ‘Can’t you?’ she had said knowingly, as if she knew. Home wasn’t as whimsical a place as it seemed, at least not for Raj. She spoke of moving, of experiencing a change, but Raj didn’t even want to think about it. Had that been imprudent? As Raj looked around Winterhold, which reminded him of nothing but the wondrous winter festivals that were a mainstay on the Cyrodilic calendar, and he couldn’t help but think to himself that perhaps this could be a new home for him. Perhaps he could learn to love Skyrim after all. Even if it was nothing like Cyrodiil.

   Off in the distance, cold and monolithic, stood the Mage’s College in all of it’s splendor. The architecture was obviously very Imperial, though the College had no official national ties despite its presence in Skyrim. Raj even felt it as he walked into the city, as if someone had lit a magical fire in the middle of the city and its warmth reached out to everyone with an affinity. Raj wondered if Jei felt anything. 

   “So that’s it?” Jei breathed. There was a look of wonder in his eyes.

   “Yeah, that’s the College.” He said harmoniously. “We should probably head there before the end of the day, but classes are going on now, no doubt. I don’t really want to intrude on them.”

   “What do we do in the meantime?” Jei asked. 

   “Well, you’re armored now. Might as well get you a sword and shield.”

   Jei grimaced. “Is it gonna be as heavy as your sword?”

   That elicited a laugh from Raj. “Not even half as heavy.” He replied smoothly. “Shame, too. You don’t really have the muscle yet to deal any big hits, but I guess ease of use is more important than impact at this point.”

   Jei grimaced. “Are you saying I’m weak?”

   “Yup.” Raj announced. “Shrimpy and weak.”

   Jei seemed to get angrier, then shrugged. “I guess that’s alright. You’re not gonna have me do any pushups, are you?”

   “You’re going to be doing pushups, Jei. They’re not that hard.”

   “Dammit.” He sighed. 

   They walked around, chatting about workout plans, until Raj’s stomach couldn’t take it any more, and they purchased some roast beef sandwiches to use on the go. They were wrapped in a sort of paper that was much thinner than usual, but it held them sturdily and kept the mess of the sauces off of Raj’s hands. It was an amazing bit of innovation, if you asked Raj. Eventually, they found the weaponsmith’s store.

   It was tucked just behind the inn, and had a wonderful view of the College as it stood so cold and hauntingly on the horizon. Pine trees were all over the place, painted white with snow, and as Raj walked up the stairs, he could smell the candymaker nearby making taffy. Holy hell, he wanted taffy. 

   The house itself was single level, with a roof over it that stretched to the left and was held aloft by a wooden beam. It made a nice patio, where all the blacksmithing equipment was, a blade wheel, a furnace, and just beside all of that was a small yard. A few snowberry bushes stood against a fence that separated the yard from the roads before it. 

   “Here we are.” Raj said with a nod.

   “You promise there won’t be any heavy swords.” Jei asked.

   “Oh, I just said there wouldn’t be swords as heavy as mine.” Raj laughed. “Your sword is gonna feel a little awkward and heavy at first.”

   “Ugh.” 

   “You wanted to come along.” Raj said. “Rule one.”

   “You’re angering.”

   And with that and a laugh, Raj reached forward to knock the door.

   The response was instant, as a loud banging noise came from inside. It sounded like someone had been thrown to the ground and was struggling to get back up. A few minutes passed and a clamouring to the door, some hushed orders and some clumsy movements could be heard before the door finally opened. 

   In the wooded doorway stood another Argonian, a little bit taller and more built than Jei. He closely resembled a corn snake, with orange scales and darkened spots, but with the facial structure of the more common Argonian. The underpart of his chin, and Raj assumed his chest, was a lighter cream colour. He was fiddling with his shirt, which looked like it had been thrown on backwards. 

   “C...Can I do something for you?” He said sheepishly. His face was a little redder than it should be, as if he was blushing furiously.

   Raj didn’t know how to answer. “Are you open?” He asked.

   “We are.” The boy stammered. “We were just busy.”

   “We?” Jei chimed in.

   There was some hasty movement behind the boy, and another Argonian came up just behind him in the doorframe. He was much taller, much heavier set, and slightly more disheveled than the boy in front of him. His scales were an olive green and black on the underbelly, save a few reddish spots along his eyes and shoulders, like freckles. He was blushing as well, and his clothes were pulled at awkward angles, all hidden poorly behind a leather blacksmith’s apron.

   “We!” He said rather recklessly. The poor boy in front of him jumped when he made noise. 

   The whole scenario was so suggestively hilarious, Jei seemed to be vibrating beside Raj. Any second he would explode into laughter, and Raj assumed that would make the smaller Argonian cry or something. No time to linger on what was happening. Raj had business to attend to. 

   “We’ll be waiting on the porch.” He said diplomatically. “Please, take your time getting ready, then I would like to browse your selection.”

   “Uhh.” The weaponsmith stammered. The boy had already darted out of the door frame and out of view, perhaps to fix his shirt or something. “We’ll be just a minute.” He finally said with a smile. 

   The door closed and Raj took a deep breath in. Jei made a horrible noise as he tried to stifle the uproars of laughter into his arm. There was only a roll of the eyes and a breathy sigh from Raj. 

   The two sat on the porch, Raj at a table and Jei on the small set of stairs leading into the yard, trying not to say a word, until the other two Argonians came out and introduced themselves. The weaponsmith came to sit with Raj, and the boy walked up to Jei, two wooden swords in his hand. The two bolted off into the yard and began play-fighting. 

   “So, what brings you to my shop today?” Hands-In-Flames, the weaponsmith, asked heartily. He held with him a basket of small cakes and a pitcher of water. 

   “Jei needs a sword.” Raj explained, pointing out the boy in question. “A steel one. He’s sort of a new hire, and I want to be sure he can protect himself.”

   “I’ve got all sorts of lighter models. How experienced is this boy?”

   Raj grimaced a bit. “I’m pretty sure he’s in the ‘never before’ category. Do you have something fairly short and easy to use?”

   “Ha! I’ve got just the thing.” Hands replied warmly.

   The smith stood up with a grunt and walked lazily over to a small display plaque he had under the patio. There were a few larger swords and an axe or two, but the smith reached past those. He pulled out from the rack a smaller, older looking sword.

   It was a Cyrodilic design. Short steel, only about two and a half feet long. The fuller was almost hollow, which made the sword just a little bit lighter. It could’ve used some polishing and care, but it would work. Hands gave it a few satisfying swings and nodded, before handing the sword to Raj.

   “This should work, don’t you think?” Rai tool the blade and gave it a few swings. It was almost too light. The thing would have trouble slicing rope in this state, but the manageability would definitely be helpful at this point. It looked nearly perfect, but there was a small bend in the blade, as if someone had stepped on it. He turned it around and surveyed curve, a frown falling on his face. The weaponsmith looked surprised. 

   “I apologize, that is one of my older swords. I can fix the bend for you.” He said, outstretching a hand. 

   Raj handed the sword over, and Hands took the sword by the blade itself. He curled his fingers gently, so as not to slice his fingers, and walked over to his anvil. He found a proper mold, and instantly, the blade turned red, as if exposed to intense flame. With a shock, Raj realised he was using magic to heat the sword. Hands got right to work, hammering the sword back to a proper form. 

   “That’s one of my more impressive tricks.” Hands explained. “I came to Skyrim a decade ago and set up shop with only my hammer and a few fire spells. Eventually, I honed my skills up to where I am now, and I don’t even have to use a furnace and bellows.”

   “Impressive.” Raj said with a grin. “So Winterhold’s view on magic has changed much? I’ve heard it can earn you a bad reputation among the city-goers.”

   Hands laughed. “Most of the people who come here are mages in their own right! The Renaissance has encouraged a lot of education, so a lot of the traffic we get comes from people who come here to learn magic at the College.”

   “It’s amazing how things change.” Raj noted. The weaponsmith finished his hammering and dropped the sword into a small trough of water. It hissed loudly, and steam was sent into the air. Hands wiped his, er, hands, and sat back down, picking up a cake and biting into it thoughtfully. 

   “It should take a little more work, then it’ll be done.” He said amiably.

   “Can I come pick it up tomorrow?” Raj asked. 

   “Of course! I’ll have it all sharpened and ready for you.” Hands almost bellowed. 

   “Thank you.”

   Their idle chatting continued. From over in the yard, Jei and the apprentice, Dee-Ja, were having a small duel with wooden swords. As Raj watched, Jei seemed to be doing fine with his handling. His technique was sloppy, but he seemed almost as if he had learned his blocks and attacks properly. All he needed was some proper direction and a fitness regime. Perhaps that particular task would be an easy undertaking. 

   As he watched the duel, Raj spotted two robed figures in the middle of the road out of the corner of his eye. He turned to watch them, and as he did, then walked to stand a great distance apart. The two robed figures stood opposite each other in two wide circles that hadn’t been there before. Perhaps they had been conjured. They bowed, and knelt into stances. 

   Raj knew what was going on before the fire even started to fly. It was a traditional mage’s duel. Stand opposite each other in your respective circle, then blast away at your opponent. First person to fall out of the circle lost, and any attacks that didn’t involve magic called for a disqualification. A second after they took their stances, they started, and a few fireballs hit the air, tinging the sweet smelling air with the reek of sulphur and ash. 

   Hands had begun watching as well, intently eyeing the duel. It wasn’t much of a spectacle, but a few people on the streets were captivated as the two dodged each other’s attacks, weaving between flames and fireballs deftly and sending their own strikes back at the opponent. Eventually, one found their mark on the other, and sent the other mage flying out of his circle, to land in a small patch of snow far behind him. The crowd that had gathered cheered raucously at the victory. 

   “Is this common?” Raj asked slightly distastefully. 

   “It’s not uncommon.” Hands replied, with the same sentiment. “College teenagers see it as getting their stripes. The duels are usually secret, as being caught dueling outside of the College will get you expelled, but some richer mages do it anyway and just pay a reentry fee.”

   “That’s a little…” Raj trailed off. 

   “Show-boaty.” Hands nodded as another duelist came to face off against the foe. “And they’re nowhere near as impressive as they look.”

   “Have you ever been involved in mage duels?” Raj asked. 

   “Only for fun or when I can’t avoid it.” Hands said. “And they’re far more impressive than this arcane slap fight.”

   Raj laughed, his eyes still fixed on the duel as another mage came forth to challenge.  

   This next opponent wielded ice magic. As the two dueled, the clashing waves of hot and cold caused little whirlwinds to fly from the two circles, kicking up powdery snow and pine needles. More people came to watch, and again, the flame mage won again, zoning his opponent out of his circle. The crowd cheered again, and Jei and Dee-Ja wandered onto the patio to watch the fight themselves. 

   The next mage wielded fire as well, but it was over quickly. Apparently, the current champion had just gotten warmed up, and he wasn’t missing his shots now. He threw up his hands in a form of challenge, bidding anyone to oppose him. And a few did. 

   As this was going on, Dee-Ja gathered up the wooden swords and walked to take them inside. As he was walking to put them outside, however, he slipped on a patch of ice and fell, sending the wooden swords flying out into the street. One of them fell and hit the lower leg of the champion duelist, and his eyes turned to Deej menacingly. He was a younger Nord, not a single mark on his pretty, pretty face. He cast a hand up and blew a fireball out that just narrowly missed Deej. 

   “You’re ruining the duel, you useless lizard!” He bellowed, and another fireball formed in his hands

   As soon as the first fireball left the mage’s fingers, Raj and Hands shot up in anger. They both rushed forward to Deej, who was unharmed, but scared. Hands looked up at the mage, a fiery rage in his eyes. 

   “What’s the big idea, pretty boy?” He barked. “It was an accident.”

   “Was it? I don’t really care either way. He could’ve thrown off my focus and lost me the match for being such a clumsy oaf!”

   Hands started to smoke a bit from his hands and mouth. He stood up to his full, imposing height, and for a second, everyone in the crowd recoiled. “You had better watch your step, boy, or you’ll find yourself in a duel you can’t win.”

   “Was that a challenge?” The champion turned to the crowd around him, who was watching the back and forth intently, a nervous weight in the air. “Does anyone think that was a challenge?”

   The crowd seemed to find its courage and roared, and Hands started to smoke even more. Raj put a hand on his shoulder, but it was already blazing hot. He pulled it away instinctively.

   “Hands, let me handle this.” Raj urged. He tried to put a little power in his words, perhaps calm down the obviously enraged swordsmith. 

   “That’s my boy he’s insulting.” Hands growled, his eyes like miniature flames. “I’ll cook him  _ alive _ .”

   “I know you will, which is why you can’t fight him.” Raj levelled his eyes. “Do you really want the guards after you for aggravated murder? Let me handle this.”

   “Oh and the soldier wants to fight too!” The champion laughed aloud. “You have to be magic to do a mage’s duel. What’s magic about you?”

   Hands growled again, but Raj stepped forward. 

   “I’ll handle this. Feel free to watch.” He slung his head loftily from side to side, popping it. “This won’t take long.”

   Raj strode over to the circle opposite the champion, and he looked the boy up and down. The Nord was probably in his late teens, and seemed only to know fire magic, though to underestimate him would be foolish. College mages usually had more than one trick up their sleeve. Raj assumed the position in his circle and gave a half hearted bow, not letting his eyes leave the champion’s. He raised his chin, striking a sort of unimpressed pose as he dramatically pulled off his new cloak and let it fly with the wind, safely away from the area of fire. If there were points for style, Raj was sure he’d already won.

   The champion returned the bow sloppily and got into his low stance. Raj held his posture, neither of their eyes shifting much from one another. 

   And there was a moment of silence. 

   The crowd watched, cheering, as the champion threw a heavy gout of flames at Raj, who stood amidst it, his skin changing into solid iron. The flame roared around him powerfully, but his skin didn’t burn, he wasn’t knocked back. It felt like a warm bath to him, a luxury more than an attack. As he was engulfed in the flames, Raj crossed his arms condescendingly and grinned. As soon as the flames rolled away, and the cheers of the crowd came back to his ears, he looked back at the bewildered champion before him.

   “You’re going to have to try harder than that.” Raj said playfully. He saw the anger flash in the boy’s eyes. Good. Angry people make bad decisions. The champion grit his teeth. 

   He threw fireball after fireball at Raj, who stood still, his new weight enough to keep him from being knocked back, and his metal skin keeping him from being burned. Each futile explosion felt like a heavy punch in the gut, but it was nothing to be afraid of. As the last fireball glanced off his face, Raj feigned a yawn. 

   “This is boring.” He said simply. 

   “Shut up!” The champion roared, and the air crackled with energy. This definitely wasn’t fire magic, but Raj was ready for new tricks. 

   The champion raised a hand, and a ball of crackling lightning formed in it. A huge energized bolt shot at Raj. As the bolt touched his skin, however, it took no effect, merely passing to the ground below. The champion was taken aback, staring at Raj, who had changed once again. He now had skin that was a little more lustrous than usual, and sort of a deep, rich brown. Raj smirked to himself. Copper.

_    You’re showing off. _ Raj heard in his head.  _ Just beat the poor boy, you have far better things to be doing. _

   But Raj had never really been good at listening to well-advised voices in his head. Another bolt stuck him, but drained out of his body, leaving him feeling like he had adrenaline pumping in his veins. The champion wasn’t as balanced as he was earlier, and started to rock with the force of each attack. His rage was causing him to expend too much energy.  _ Just a little bit longer,  _ a more snide voice drawled in Raj’s head. 

   “Why don’t you fall!?” The champion cried out, and he stumbled. He found his footing, and his hands charged a new spell. Raj already had his spell prepared, though, and as a long, slender spear of ice shot from the champion’s hands at Raj, it shattered against heavy steel. 

   The crowd was drinking up this interaction, as shards of ice shattered dramatically against Raj’s fortified skin. They cheered louder every time a shard exploded, and it seemed to only drive the rage of the champion, who kept casting the spell over and over again. Raj saw his eyes droop a bit, the strain taking a toll on his body now.

   “Is this really all you have?” Raj taunted. “I’ve fought bandits that put up more of a fight.”

   The champion seethed, but then a grin fell onto his tired face. “You can take all my hits, but you can’t return them, can you?’ He laughed. 

   Raj laughed with him. “If that’s the case, it seems we’re at an impasse, aren’t we?” He joked.

   “Indeed.” The mage grinned. “But that means that champion wins again! Ha!” He turned to the crowds. There was no cheering, though, only a few murmurs. The crowd seemed to have a rather mixed perspective on who the actual victory came to.

   Raj laughed again and knelt to his knees. He gathered up some snow, turning his skin back to normal to let his own deft hands form the shape of a tightly packed snowball. The champion had turned around to see him doing this, and was eyeing him curiously. He stood back up and hefted his new weapon.

   “That won’t count. Non-magic attacks are disqualifiers.” The champion warned, an edge of anger in his voice. 

   “Shut the fuck up.” Raj replied with all the brass and pride in his body.

   He threw the snowball right at the champion’s smug face. Just before the snowball left his fingers, he cast a spell, one to change the composition of the snow, the ice and water, into something a little more… solid. 

   There was a sickening smack as the iron ball collided with the champion’s face, knocking him back and sending him falling out of his circle and into the snow behind him. His nose got the worst of the blow, impounding from the hit, and was now bleeding furiously all over his robes. His pretty face marred and his pride tarnished, the mage was out cold.

   There was a small period of shocked silence as the crowd processed what had just happened. Some older man reached over to touch the iron ball, fingers trembling as if it was white hot. Then, all at once, everyone cheered. The sudden rush of people threw Raj off balance, but he caught himself as hands found their place all over him. Everyone was yelling at him, asking him questions and pulling on his arms. Raj grimaced at the noise, the movement, the overwhelming surge of people, like waves on a beach that threatened to drag you into the deep. He looked over at Jei and the weaponsmiths, who had started weaving and pushing their way through the crowd to get to him, but they were being assaulted from all ends by people pushing back and an impenetrable wall of people all around him. Raj wanted to fall to his knees and through the floor and perhaps find solace below the bricks he stood on, but he couldn’t. The waves crashed around him more, and he felt himself shake as what looked harmless made him feel as if he was ebbing from the inside. 

   He felt one hand, warmer than the rest, grab his, and he turned to see Jei, who had slipped through the crowd to take hold of him. Maybe he was trying to pull him back, back with them, but whatever efforts he made were weak and unnoticeable. The crowd surged around him, trying to cut him off from Raj, and for a second, Raj feared he might be overtaken by the crowd. He regained his composure enough to push people aside, pulling Jei to stand near him. He stuck his arm through the crowd, hoping to push himself and his friend to safety, but as he did, there was a gasp that shot through everyone around them. Everyone seemed to freeze and turn, and it wasn’t long before Raj, taller than most people, saw the source of their drawn attention. 

   There was a woman, standing powerfully over the still unconscious form of the defeated mage. He had her hand around his cloak’s hood, as if she were prepared to drag him away somewhere and throw him into a hypothetical high fantasy dumpster. Apparently she had barked some sort of order Raj hadn’t heard, and she seemed to hold some sort of position around these parts, because the crowd quickly dispersed to the rights and lefts, leaving nothing but trampled snow and two circles in the ground. Raj and Jei were shaken, but not faltering. They stood across from this woman, who seemed to be made entirely out of burnished bronze. Her hair was like a black cloud, up on top of her head falling just above her eyes, and shaven on the sides by her ears and the back of her head. Her eyes were pitchblack, with bright golden irises that burned like little fires behind a withering scowl. She looked high set, and with a glimpse of her ears, along with the strange look in her eyes, it was easy to say why. She was an Altimer, a High Elf. 

   She stood silently, in her gold and steel armor, staring at the boys in front of her with a look of contempt. Agitation shown in her face in every crease, but she looked young. She couldn’t have been much older than 30 if she was a human, though Raj knew Elvish ages were far more vast and different than that. A cape, slate grey, fluttered behind her back as the winds picked up, seemingly noting her presence. 

   Her face flashed with exasperation, and she spoke again, possibly repeating her words from before. Raj could read from her expression that she wasn’t one who much liked repeating herself. 

   “Which of you two was involved?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Kamil and Will for beta reading and showering me with critique and praise  
> Thanks to Anthony for helping me right inconsistencies and deal with my inability to write dialogue, oops.  
> Thanks to Todd Howard for selling me Skyrim 9: I'm Slowly Running Out Of Things To Say  
> and a Special Thanks to Griffin McElroy. No reason, he just deserves it.


	5. The College Ball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jei recalls some freaky librarian. Raj ends up being a party animal. And with this new chapter, we introduce the last two characters in the guild that will search for a dragon: Glenna and Isandre,

-Raj-

Raj couldn’t help but get the distinct feeling that he was in some sort of trouble as the Elf paraded them through town, carrying the defeated mage on her shoulders as if he was a half empty sack of potatoes. She moved so quick, and with such determination, that it seemed like she was trying to make everyone in the whole city know of her presence all at once. Raj was having trouble matching her strides. 

They strode through the streets, in broad daylight. As they made their parade through brown wooden houses with stone walls near their base, this wintery wonderland that seemed so peaceful, people pointed at them. A few people crossed them with looks of curiosity, and a few with grim looks of disapproval. The Elf didn’t seem to care at all. She strode past them and every building as if they were nothing but ghosts and directionless obstacles. 

There had been no time to pay for the sword or accept thanks from Hands or Deej for the theatrics, but as they made a beeline for the College, Raj felt a little less guilty about that. He would see them in the morning, to pick up the sword. And a shield, Raj thought. I forgot the shield. 

Up snowy stone steps in the soft wind, the three conscious people and the one unconscious person started across one of the inky black bridges that traversed the main city to the cold, imposing building that was the College. The bridges all around seemed worn, some even completely falling apart, but this particular bridge was wider than the rest, and was completely untainted by wear and tear. It must’ve been very difficult to get this stone bridge to hold in the constant wind, sleet, and snow. 

The closer they got to the College, the easier it became to discern. Far away, it seemed like a huge chunk of black obsidian, where the stones were dyed black from the water. But as it came into a more focused view, Raj could make out a huge tower at the far end, which was ringed by two, three, four stories of a high wall. In the center, a few trees grew, higher than the wall even, their green and white branches reaching high into the air. It seemed like the College was even larger than the city below them, and in fact, as Raj looked back on the city, its construction, all the buildings and the hustle and bustle, turned into anthills. The cobblestone roads were so far away, and this building in front of him seemed so impossible. Deep in the pit of his stomach, Raj felt a small twinge of nausea and disorientation, as if he was only an inch high, in a world of creatures who were miles tall. 

As they got nearer to the College, Raj heard the distinct noise of a lute and lyre, of flutists and a guitar, of a warbling singer. It bore through the whipping winds like the buzzing of the fly. He tried to get a closer look as they came to the front entrance. It seemed the whole school was out in the courtyard of the ringing walls, dancing with one another in their finest clothes. A band played off to the side as people danced on the main pathway from the entrance to the main hall, and on the snowy grass to either side. There must’ve been hundreds of people, too, yet nothing looked cramped in the slightest. Everyone, from the oldest, most withered mage, all the way to what looked like a group of pre-teens, were talking amiably in their respective groups. 

Some antics seemed to be about. A group of women in their early 20s was chatting, with the occasional uproarious laugh. Some younger boys had taken small slips of paper with the words ‘kick me’ on them and magically stuck them to the backs of people's robes. An Argonian, about 26 years old, had a group of people around her, mouths agape as she glowed with bioluminescence, a source of light free of magic. Very few people paid Raj or Jei any mind, but a few wandering eyes caught a glimpse of the Elf, and a few gossiping mouths started making hushed remarks. 

The Elf, instead of leaving the party uninterrupted, drove herself through the crowd, across the long stone roadway that spanned what seemed to be a half mile from the entrance of the College to its main tower. People parted ways from her, and a few laughs rang out at the sight of the mage she was carrying, who was still out cold. Raj and Jei had no choice but to awkwardly drive themselves through the group as well, but everyone seemed rather nice about it. Some people smiled and waved, and even offered Raj a drink that he promptly declined. There was business to be done, and then he could drink and dance. 

The huge building that seemed to make up the main hall had a huge bronze door in front, with the College’s emblem, an eye in the middle of a star, wrought into the metalwork. With a soft push, the Elf let it open and marched into the main hall. Raj and Jei followed, wiping their feet on a metal ring just beside the entryway. The floors were just being cleaned it seemed. Raj felt sorry for the janitors whose work he had just ruined. 

The Elf waited until everyone was with her, then opened a door and went up the stairs with a purpose. Raj looked at Jei, who seemed far more nervous and flighty than Raj had expected. His eyes were darting back and forth, always seeming to end up on the Elf before veering elsewhere. He had a worried look on his face and brows that tugged at the pit of Raj’s maternal instincts. He started up the stairs, but not before giving Jei a reassuring nod. The boy followed. 

The whole main hall was made of stone, with lazy blue and purple tapestries lining the walls with assorted stars, depictions of flames, and some of the planets on them. The walls were grey stone between large doric pillars, and the entire building seemed larger than anyone inside of it. The staircase alone was wide enough for the three of them to lay out, head to toe, and still not make it all the way across. Raj supposed the hallways were made for heavy student traffick. 

The Elf had already made it up the stairs and into the room in question. It was an office of sorts, a small circular room, with a great oaken desk in front of a curling, ghost white tree set into the wall a bit. A woman sat at that desk, listening intently as the Elf gave a report, but Raj was more invested in the scores of papers flying in the sky around them. Magelight spheres were hanging near them, and they seemed to move, as if the orbs of light themselves were reading the contents of every page. As the ceiling sloped upwards, Raj noticed it never really made a full roof before some sort of magical cloud hazed it from sight. 

The woman at the desk had a sort of calming, casual presence, despite her formal clothing and her obvious stature at the school. She had shoulder length brown hair that was neatly combed and laid lazily on her as she leaned forward to listen to the Elf. Her skin was a touch darker than most Bretons, but perhaps that was the wear on her face that caused wrinkles along her cheeks and eyes. Her eyes were twinkling a bit as she regarded Raj and Jei, as if she was revelling in a newfound appreciation of something that she should have been appreciating all along. 

“-in the road behind Frozen Hearth Inn.” The Elf finished. “I recommend expulsion, this isn’t the first time this has happened, and I see that it won’t be the last.”

The woman behind the desk nodded as she finished, then stood. “Have him sent to the healer’s quarters, and have the staff clean out his room and pack his bags, neatly. I will begin his expulsion letter now. Thank you, Glenna.”

Glenna wasn’t finished. “I also feel certain he is connected somehow with The Cult of Alduin. If I could search his room, perhaps-” But she was cut off by a hand from the woman behind the desk. 

“We do not search our students’ belongings, no matter the accusations. Remember, we are not a body of law, but a school of learning.”

“Headmistress, there must be some connection! If I were able to look through his journals-” She was interrupted once more. 

“That’s the last we speak of it, Glenna. The Cult of Alduin has no presence here, or anywhere of consequence. You are dismissed.”

Glenna looked like she wanted to say more, but after a second, she closed her mouth and walked out of the room with the boy over her shoulder. With a soft sigh, the woman behind the desk turned her eyes to Raj and Jei, who were standing in the corner. 

“And you two were the people who stopped the dueling? I thank you for the intervention. The people of Winterhold love us now, and I hope to keep that attitude in place.” She smiled genuinely, and her eyes twinkled again. “My name is Mirabelle Ervine. I am the headmaster here at the College. I believe there is some thanks in order for your service. Perhaps we can negotiate a proper amount of coin?”

Raj beamed like he had just been shown the largest diamond in the world. His grin seemed to fill the room with a different aura, and the orbs reading the papers started to move faster. A lavender hue lit them, softening the room a bit.

“The headmaster? I was actually sent to you for aid.” He bowed low. “My name is Raj-Ei, and this is my apprentice, Jei. I was hoping I could access your records and research on dragons and their locations for my studies.”

“At the behest of Madena, no doubt.” The headmistress let out an infectious laugh. “Splendid! Our library is yours to look through, Raj, and I will see what sort of aid I can gather from the students and staff. Perhaps you would like some food as well?”

“No thank you, headmistress, we just a-” but before he could finish, a bowl of taffy, wrapped in thin paper, sailed towards them from behind the desk. It was all assorted colors, and possibly flavours. Raj’s mouth watered. “What I meant to say was thank you. I very much enjoy this payment.”

Mirabelle gave a hearty laugh as both Raj and Jei gathered a fistful of taffy and stuffed it in whatever pocket they could find in their outfits. Mirabelle stood up and started walking out from behind her desk with a pronounced limp. With a shock, Raj looked at her legs and only counted one. The other was merely a wooden peg, with a strange, irregular ball at the edge. Mirabelle caught him staring and nodded curtly. 

“Some experiments go better than others, dear. Come with me, I’ll bring you to the library. Just be sure not to litter it with taffy trash, or Urag might kill someone… again.”

 

Mirabelle had to reassure them about eight times that Urag gro-Shub, the College librarian, was not going to kill someone.

The Arcanaeum was a vast library, with more bookshelves than Raj had ever seen at any one of the mage centers in Cyrodiil. A few wings branched off, lit by small globes of light, and more papers and even books floated in the air just like in Mirabelles office. Some darted from place to place, as if they were being ordered by a mage in need. It smelled like paper and sweat. 

Mirabelle led them to the very front of the room, where a well dressed, well-kempt Orc stood just beside another great desk, flipping through the pages of a book and muttering to himself. His grey hair was kept in a ponytail on both ends, from his beard to the wispy remains on the top of his head. A long scar lined the right side of his face. As if he sensed their presence coming, Urag looked up from his book, carefully closing it in his hands. 

“What can I do for you, headmistress?” He asked in a voice like coarse gravel. 

“These scholars are looking for dragons for a study of theirs.” Mirabelle replied, gesturing to Raj and Jei. Raj bowed again.

“Hmm.” Urag stood up, and seemed to size the two up with piercing eyes. 

“You certainly don’t look like scholars.” He spat. “May I see your notes? Some of these books are from a more forbidden section of the Arcanaeum and I want to be sure you’ve done your homework.”

“Jei.” Raj turned to his apprentice and held out a hand. Jei looked at it for a second before the realization struck him. He began rooting through his new bag on his side, and produced the journal from it, handing it to Raj, who handed it to Urag. 

With a keen, discerning eye, the Orc looked over the book with enough disciplined speed that to the untrained eye, it would’ve looked like he wasn’t paying attention at all. He started nodding, and his scowl brightening to what looked nearly like a smile. He handed the book back to Raj, who handed it back to Jei, and with a whip of his hand, a small current of magic rippled through the air. He turned to return to his book. 

Mirabelle nodded and turned to Raj and Jei. “He will show you what research he has, and I will go about mustering a small party for you. Are there any supplies you request of us?”

Raj shook his head. “You’ve been more than helpful, Madam Ervine. Thank you for everything.”

“Thank you for your help as well.” Mirabelle bowed and began her departure.

With both Urag and Mirabelle gone, Raj took a second to really let his eyes explore, and a small chuckle escaped his mouth. It felt so natural for him to be in a place, surrounded by books and more books. A small star seemed to be alight in his heart as he looked around on a nearby shelf, which seemed to be a protection magic based shelf. Tomes and journals on more than a million different ward spells. Hell, Raj didn’t even know any ward spells. He probably should’ve paid more attention in that class, but nonetheless, he felt a sort of joy from being in a library. It felt like home. 

Jei seemed to be having a look around. He had calmed down considerably from all of the nervousness before, and gazed around in curiosity. Who wouldn’t, after all? This was a magnificent place.

“What do you think?” Raj asked, his eyes straying to a bookshelf that seemed to have books with glowing runes. 

“It’s… huge.” Jei almost breathed. “Is this really a place people can learn at?”

“Not just that.”Raj interjected jovially. He had the same energy in his voice that can be found in a child’s while they tell you about their favourite show. “This place is the forefront of so much progress in magical fields. When I’m done with my journal, it’ll be in here too, and students will be studying it before you know it.”

“You seem-” Jei paused thoughtfully. “-Excited.”

“The library alone is bigger than most magic schools in Cyrodiil.” Raj added enthusiastically. “This place may be a school, but it’s also a meeting place for some of the greatest magical minds in the world.”

“Huh.” Jei almost croaked. It pulled a laugh from Raj. 

“Why don’t we find ourselves someplace to sit?” He said in an almost cockish voice. 

The two made their way past rows and rows of books. Raj looked over the hundreds of volumes in each shelf, watching as one was pulled out, as if by an invisible hand. More even found their way back into their shelves, sliding in back where they would’ve been before they were moved. It must’ve been easy to keep a system like this, Raj thought as his eyes scanned the shelves. He saw at least three books he wanted to read, but priorities were as they were. The more he could learn about Dragons, the better. 

As they found a table, cast off in a corner by a torch that lent its light, Raj couldn’t help but wonder how many damn students this College could accommodate. As many as there were in the courtyard below, dancing and making merry, there were only a few less in the library, poring over books as if their lives depended on it. The smell of xocolatl rubbed Raj’s nose with the smooth scent of chocolate and the rich smell of chili pepper, and all the while, pages drifted to and fro, books and scrolls going to a student or returning to their shelf. A few students caught them in midair, and opened them up instantly. A few looked like they hadn’t been sleeping well. Raj remembered his studies with a sort of fondness. He rarely slept at the time either. 

Raj turned his eyes back to Jei, who seemed no less distracted before. It took a moment for his darting eyes to rest, but when they did, it was on Raj’s own eyes. They gazed at each other for a second, a brief tranquil moment in this room of movement and study. Jei looked vaguely sad, but he shook the suggestion away. 

“You seem pretty calm.” Jei said plainly. 

“Patience is a skill we all learn one way or another.” Was his reply. He looked at Jei sagely, a smile flickering on his face as he produced a small piece of taffy. “I’m not so worried about this deadline.”

“It’s a little stressful to me.” Jei admitted. “You have ten days to gather a scale from a creature no one has seen in years.”

“It’s no big deal, really. We have the best tools we can be equipped with.”

Jei looked puzzled. “A sword and a cloak?”

Raj laughed and shook his head. “We have a map and a library.” He pointed out, giving a wide gesture to the whole room. “Ten days is more than enough time to get one lousy scale, and then, I can relax and study it at my own pace.”

Jei shifted in his wooden chair, which caused it to creak a bit. “What if we can’t find anything?” Jei asked. 

“Well, we’d better stay away from Dawnstar then, huh?” Raj let out a hearty laugh. Jei wasn’t so amused. 

Another brief silence filled the space between the two. Jei was fidgeting with his fingers, and Raj let his gaze drift. It grew so long it became awkward, but Raj was far too occupied with looking around to really care. After a second, he looked back at Jei, who was also surveying the vast expanse of books.

“You like it?”

“It’s amazing.” Jei replied. “Do you think I could get a book on fire magic here?”

Raj laughed. “I don’t think you need any books on fire magic, Jei.”

“Why not?”

Raj laughed. “You’ve never used magic before, and you want to step right into the most dangerous school of magic.”

“What?” Jei looked incredulous. “I’m sure I can handle a few dumb fire spells.”

“And I’m sure you can’t.” Raj shot back. “It’s part of my job to keep you safe now. No fire books.”

“I’ll be fine!” Jei barked.

“Yes, I know you’ll be fine.” Raj replied dryly. “Because you’ll be away from fire magic. If you want to learn magic, I can teach you some things, but no new magician should ever learn Destruction spells.”

“And who are you to tell me what to do?” Jei snapped. 

“Rule one.” Raj shot back. “You aren’t learning that magic, and that’s the final word.”

Jei seemed taken back by the finality of the statement. He blinked twice, then resolved to look at the floor, scowling. 

The silence this time was burning, but it was short, as several books flew over to their table and sat themselves down in a neat pile. Raj wordlessly picked one up and started flipping through it as a few notes slid onto the pile. He grabbed those and started reading them as well, and a few minutes passed as his eyes circulated from book to note to note to book. 

Information had to be linked together. Raj knew that well, and as he read the notes of dragon sightings and referenced them with the materials he found and searched for in the book, he noticed a pattern, and then a second one. Kynesgrove had several sightings about ten years ago, but when the Nords stood up to hunt dragons, they all seemed to withdraw. There was also a place near Riften. Both of these spots were set near treacherous mountain clusters, far away from mortal eyes. 

Then one final note pulled all the speculation together. Reports of missing cattle in the nearby farms. 

Raj grinned and set the books down. He raised a hand, like he’d seen so many students do, and snapped his fingers. A piece of parchment and a quill flew into his hands, and he started taking notes. 

“And you thought this was gonna be hard to find.” Raj said triumphantly. “C’mon, we’ve still got time to go join that dance.”

-Jei-

It had been years ago, about four or five, Jei couldn’t remember. In a far off land, where the hustle and bustle kept the city buzzing. It was easy to lose a few people in the crowd, and that’s just what Jei and Brunner did. They got lost together. 

What they found together was an unlocked door to a huge library that had been condemned after evidence of Daedra worship was unearthed. The minister of the library had been executed, and everyone just walked past it now. True, it was scary, but Jei felt exhilarated. Not only that, but he had his brother by his side. 

They closed the door behind them silently and crept through a narrow hallway. It opened up to a large main room, with bookshelves at the borders that stretched up to almost twice Jei’s height. The bookshelves ended in the center of the room, where several tables stood, covered on the top with dust and assorted books. Sheets of parchment littered the floor, as well as chunks of debris and a few pieces of broken glass. The U shaped formation of the books continued up above, too, for 3 levels. It was the biggest room Jei had ever been in in his life. 

Brunner grinned maliciously and started looking at the shelves with a hunger that Jei recognized. He was looking for tools. Brunner was a bit taller than Jei, and Cyrodilic, with olive skin and blackish hair. He always wore it short, almost hugging his scalp, with a notable point at the very front. It was a dashing look, but on him it looked a little corny. Brunner always loved tools. He would hoard them, as much as he could, in a little box he kept under his bed. One day, he would always say, he’d use those tools to build a house far away from their parents, and they could live together in peace, away from everyone. 

Jei always believed him.

“What could you find in here that could build a house?” Jei laughed as he limped after his brother. 

“Oh, nothing for the house.” Brunner said, then he shot a mysterious smile back at his brother. 

“Then what are you looking for?”

Brunner ignored the question and bolted past the bookcases, up a paif steps, inverse of each other, that led to the second level. It was all Jei could do with his broken leg to keep up. 

“A-Ha!” He heard Brunner exclaim just as he peaked the final step on the stairs. Brunner was waving a book in the air, one that despite all the dust and disrepair, looked pretty clean. It had a white cover and a golden spine, glittering in the light of a broken window. 

They sat together on a table off to the edge of the platform that made up the second floor, and Brunner sped his way through the book, reading what he could from its pages. Finally, he looked ready, and closed the book. 

“Hold up your leg.” He commanded, brimming with confidence. 

“What? Brunner, what was in that book?”

“A healing spell!” Brunner exclaimed, lifting Jei’s leg gingerly to lay it on his knees. It was swollen and a little hobbled, where Brunner’s mother had struck Jei for misbehaving. It was one in a long line of better and worse cuts, scrapes, and traumas. Jei was a bit nervous about thinking about the rest. It brought up a lot of bad memories. 

“Okay, let’s get you healed up.” Brunner said. He held out his hand and his whole body tensed. He closed his eyes, and seemed to concentrate. It was a three minute process, where he stood there, and nothing happened. After he had finished his attempt, he opened up his eyes, and was instantly disappointed at Jei’s still broken leg. 

He attempted again, but the result was the same. “Why doesn’t it work?” Brunner griped. “I did everything the book said… I think.” Before Jei could stop him, he shot back into the pages of the book and started going over them again, a closer comb through the words it contained. He seemed to mutter some of them under his breath, but when Jei looked over, he found that his lips weren’t moving. Odd, Jei was sure he heard-

Some voice. Brunner looked up too, as a noise manifested in their heads. It was a whisper, something neither could understand, but they knew it was something, and they knew the other heard it. Somehow, they both turned to a darkened part of the second floor, where the light of day didn’t reach. Nothing seemed amiss there, but as they turned, the whispering got louder, still too quiet to hear, but the aftereffects lingered in their brain. Brunner was the first to stand up, helping his brother as they walked over to that area to investigate. 

As they walked over, things began to look more and more amiss. The ground got darker, like it was charred from some blast of fire. The books all remained intact, but they were lined with a strange golden pattern, as if they had been given a protective ward. The ground crunched under their feet, and the faintest smell of sulphur and fire burned their nostrils with the musty smell of dust. 

Brunner gasped, and as Jei turned to see why, horror ran through his veins. They were skeletons, laid on the floor, just as black as the floor below them, but what was more, they were… warped. One had its hands close to its head, as if there was a loud noise bothering them, and their fingers were growing upwards, like tentacles. Their legs split out at the ankle, where it looked eerily like another set of toes was growing. 

The second was bent over the rail of the platform, reaching into empty space, but its skull was all wrong. It was elongated, stretched out horrendously, and its jaw broke into three ways instead of two. Its fingers were long, sharp, curved claws that were terrible to look at. 

The third skeleton… It was a child. A baby. The kid didn’t look any older than 5 or 6, but there they had ceased to live. And it was horrifying, far more than the rest, not because of the age, but because Jei could still see the effects of whatever shape changing affect the flames that had killed the child had. The baby’s skin was still intact, and became easily apparent why. It was dyed red, tougher than leather. It seemed, though, that the insides of their body was completely gone, so they child lay there, their own skin falling limply on their bones as hollow eye sockets looked upward in a last plea of terror and mercy. 

Jei felt his legs get weak, and his stomach get weaker. He trembled, even against Brunner’s supporting carry. Brunner, however, was focused on something else. 

“Look at that.” He breathed, and Jei tore his eyes away from the dead around him. He followed Brunner’s gaze to the far wall, where black stone grew from the wall, unnaturally. It opened up into a strange tunnel that seemed to go nowhere, but that wasn’t the strangest thing. The burn marks Jei had so carelessly neglected to look over were shifting. They undulated up against the wall, rising and falling amongst other, less or more defined tendrils. It looked like some sort of squid made of fire shot its tentacles through the tunnel in the wall, grasping to whatever they could, leaving their impressions on the wall and the floor where the skeletons made their final rest. 

It was eldritch. Macabre. But they were both transfixed at the whispers they heard coming from the tunnel. Brunner took a step forward, but as soon as Jei tried to follow, his leg burned with pain. He had taken an awkward step on it, and agony coursed through the muscles in it. He let out a cry, and Brunner seemed to snap back into reality. 

Jei couldn’t quite remember much of the rest, but he did remember Brunner carrying Jei from the library, with the white and gold book tucked safely in his bag. The two swore to never return to the library, but Brunner kept the book and practised the spells inside to the best of his knowledge. He never could pull off a proper healing spell, but he did one time soothe a stomach ache Jei was having from whatever vile dredges they fed Jei. 

Books. Books were a strange tool, Jei had come to realize. He had always heard the expression “give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day, but teach him to fish, and he’ll eat for the rest of his life”. Jei knew what it had meant, but not until the nausea drained from his stomach that one day, as Brunner’s golden lit hands passed over his stomach. Books were a powerful tool, but not because they could be used in any special way. Books did something far more alarming and productive. 

They turned the user into a tool. 

 

Jei watched Raj dive into a book after they flew their way over to him, and one after another, he noted locations off a list he was making on a spare piece of parchment. The data seemed to be there, but Jei noticed that Raj wasn’t looking for it directly. That’d be too obvious. Raj was scoping the books clean of knowledge that he could cross reference with other bits of knowledge. He was reading between the lines like only a well versed person in studies could. It seemed so different to Jei for him to see this man, who could single handedly chop down a tree and turn a troll into two halves of a troll, tear into these books as if it was a puzzle. Jei could hardly follow the logic at hand as he wrote down one location, scratched out another, then crossed out the one he had just written down in favour of two more. 

The process continued for about a half hour after the books hit the table, and Raj had called over two more pieces of parchment before he finally finished his puzzle, grinning like a fool. Jei had used the time to take a few pieces of taffy and give them a chew. They were all assorted flavours, but their colouration was different for each piece. The light green ones were honeydew melon, the pinkish ones were strawberry, and the cream coloured ones were either butterscotch or vanilla. He strayed away from the brownish ones since he bit into it and tasted the characteristic spicy and bitter flavour of xocolatl. He kept the papers neatly on the table, right where Raj left his own taffy trash. The fear of that immense Orc librarian was more intense than Jei’s own laziness. 

Raj finished with a few more notes and a punctuated closing of a book. He held it out in the air and dropped it, where invisible hands seemed to catch it and send it back to its shelf. He stood up, surveying his ever edited list, before he picked up the trash the two had accumulated and grinned. 

“I’ve got three locations we can start from.” He said enthusiastically. 

“Really?” Jei said, his annoyance from prior exchanges washing away.

Raj nodded and pulled a map out of his bag. “It’s not a lot to start with, but it’s about what I expected. We need to make our way towards Kynesgrove, then a bit behind Riften.”

“And the third spot?” Jei asked.

Raj pointed at an awkward area between Riften and Whiterun. It looked like a huge mountain, but Raj was pointing just to the side of it, closer to Whiterun, near a smaller town called Riverwood. “Right here, in a tomb. I don’t figure we’ll get that far, though, the other leads look far more promising.”

Jei nodded. “So, uhhh, what do we do now?” The whole reveal seemed a little too anticlimactic. Maybe this was how scientific ventures went; you fight a troll, get assailed by mysterious dreams and meet a bisexual werewolf. It wasn’t entirely bad, but Jei wished he had learned more about himself in some dramatic fashion. 

Raj tucked the note away in his bag, grinning all the while. “Since we’re here and all, I think I’d to mingle at the dance. Maybe I’ll learn something the books couldn’t tell me.”

“Wait, you’re just going to go dance?” This seemed even more unceremonious.

“Yeah, I might as well. It seemed to cater to all ages, and it’s been a while since I last went for a dance. You should come too, you’ll enjoy it.” Raj turned to walk out of the library, following along a large bookshelf.

Jei hurried to follow him, but as he was pulling out of his chair, he felt a knock on his knee. It caught him so off guard, he yelped. 

Jei didn’t know what he expected. The table leg, a cat, a very small person. After all, from what he had already seen in this library alone, as well as in the rest of the college, the streets at the duel, that night, being chased by a yeti, magic was a force beyond imagination. A tantalizing power wielded by the elite of the world, not to rule over the rest, but to perform feats to protect or intrigue a person. 

Jei didn’t know what to expect. But there it was, for him. A tool. 

The book was tattered a bit, probably a bit worn from usage, but it had a red leather binding and gold letters on it that said  _ Beginners Flame. _ Had Jei not known better, the book looked like a steamy romance novel, but it was unmistakable in this library. Jei looked around promptly, trying to find out who had sent it his way. No faces seemed to stand out from the crowd, no one watching him, just a series of tired students going about their studies as meticulously as possible. 

Perhaps there was a mistake. Jei felt uncomfortable picking up a book that wasn’t his in this library. Before, he had jumped at the opportunity to find some, but now that one rested in his hands, he wished he could’ve chosen the method. It felt wrong. He looked at the book, pondering whether or not he should take it as it seemed to want. 

And then the slow, dawning realization came to Jei. He felt cold eyes hit his back, and the world around him started to redden a bit. It seemed as if a brisk wind came into the room, brushing the bookshelves. This was a gift to Jei, a tool, and the best kind of tool one could fine. One that made your own body a tool.

Jei hastily slid the tome into his bag, right next to Raj’s notes, and hurried to catch up with his friend. 

 

Somehow, in the span of less than a half hour, Raj went from studying a pile of books to being in borrowed formal clothes, spinning men and women around on the dance floor like they were brooms with arms. Jei sat at the sidelines and chatted some people up, but Raj was out and about, finding people to have fun with, having a few drinks, and becoming one of many party-goers. He seemed in his element, and this brought Jei to the exact conclusion Jei should’ve made far earlier.

Raj was lazy. 

Not that he was doing things wrong. But he had ten days to find a huge mythos inspiring reptile that breathed fire and flew, and as he slow danced with a charming male elf with an undercut, Jei couldn’t help but feel that this was probably not the best way to approach the problem. As a matter of fact, had Jei been given the reigns, they would’ve been halfway to Kynesgrove by now, wherever that was. 

As it was, Jei was sitting on the stone steps near the College’s big, insignia door. He elected only to watch the huge party, watch the snow fall from the sky. It wasn’t that the party was bad, but the tunes the band was playing were about as dated as milk. What was dadfolk even doing this far from the Oblivion Crisis?  

Jei sighed. His borrowed clothing was a nice pre-Renaissance style tunic with some intricate patterns on the lapels. It was green, which sort of didn’t go well with his orange feathers, but fashion apparently didn’t matter at this party. He had seen at least five people wearing the most gaudy or plain robes in the world, so perhaps he could live with clashing a bit. 

Raj on the other hand, looked spectacularly in place in his blue tunic and black pants, twirling that Dunmer girl around in her white dress. He looked like he could’ve cleaned up to be a handsome prince or something, but spent most of his time wrestling because who needed good looks? Surely not Prince Raj, who would find a proper spouse by test of their will and heart. The thought brought a warm, joking smile to Jei’s face. 

He was snapped from his corny joke dialogue by the feeling of a hand on his shoulder. He jumped a bit, but as the jovial laugh of the person the hand was attached to hit his ears, he felt at ease. This person couldn’t do him any harm, not with a laugh that warm. 

She was a Nord, in about her 60s or 70s, easily pinpointed by the wrinkles on her face and the greying in her hair. However, she stood with a poise and dignity most would see as youthful, in such a masterful outfit as a bright red tunic and a pair of black and gold slacks. Her brown eyes twinkled softly, and her skin, though aged, reminded Jei of the fair marble. She had a sort of knowing smile, like she was about to tell Jei exactly what he was thinking. 

“Is that your boyfriend?” She asked in a voice like silk. 

Jei felt his face get warm. “No!”

“Ahhh.” The woman cooed. “So you’re hoping to ask him out, then?”

“No, I’m not!” Jei stammered. His face got warmer and his stomach seemed to flutter with hyperactive butterflies. 

“You haven’t taken your eyes off him since you got out here. I can see why, too, he’s rather handsome if you ask me.” The woman looked at Raj with the thoughtful glance an amused cat gives a rather plump looking mouse. “What is your relation, then?”

“He’s my-” Jei paused and pondered. “-Boss.” He decided. 

“Ahhhh, so you’re the travellers Glenna brought in.” The woman hunched over slowly and sat down next to Jei. “She seemed very happy to get that boy out of here.”

“Has she had problems with the duels before?” Jei asked, happy for a change of subject. 

The old woman laughed. “Of course, she’s the Disciplinary Master. She’s the one around here who deals detentions, suspensions, and expulsions.”

“She seems very Disciplinary Master-ish.” Jei noted. The woman chuckled. 

“She’s convinced there’s some sort of gang at the school, recruiting mages at a young age and molding them into cultists.” The old woman shrugged. “It makes sense that this would be a great place to recruit.”

“I remember her saying something about a cult.” Jei recalled. He shook his head. 

“The Cult of Alduin, yes.” Glenna nodded. “They wish to resurrect Alduin, the World-Eater, the Elder Dragon.”

“Why would someone want a world eating dragon back?” 

“You got me, cults are hard to explain.” The woman laughed. “I suppose it has something to do with people wanting the old ways back. Humankind once thrived under the foot of the dragon lords.”

Jei looked over the party. He thought about Winterhold in the snowy hills below, and the caravan. “Why would someone want old ways back?”

“Some people take comfort in tradition. It may not be what they thought they knew, but quite a few people want things back the ways they were. In the time of the war, more and more people joined the Cult until, well…”

“Until the war ended?” Jei asked, but the woman shook her head. 

“Until the Dragonborn.” She said in awe. 

There was a moment where Jei sat and tried to take that statement in, watching the snow fall. He knew so little of the history of Skyrim, he wasn’t sure what that was, but he knew he had heard of the deeds of the Dragonborn. Such deeds wouldn’t really be on the downlow. 

Before anything else could be said, the woman stood, slowly and carefully as she’d sat. She dusted off her slacks and grinned at Jei. “Best to enjoy the party. My name is Isandre, by the way.”

“I’m Jei. A pleasure to meet you.” Jei said with a smile and a nod.

“Likewise. Now, go dance with your boyfriend. I’m sure we’ll see each other again.”

Before Jei could protest that he wasn’t his boyfriend, a few Elves came over to Isandre, and Jei heard a Khajiit clear her throat. She held out a hand, inviting him to the dance floor. Jei accepted, and the night drifted away in the antiquated songs of the bards, the glances at the party’s only familiar face, and the sweet swallow of mead. 

 

-Raj

The party had accommodated quite a few of Raj's more reckless habits. The mead was sweet and copious, and he danced with every man or woman who he found desirable or attractive. A few even approached him, and he was happy to indulge them and treat them like royalty on the dance floor. It almost didn't matter to Raj what else was happening on the floor. He was having fun. 

He looked over once in a while at Jei, who had planted himself on the stairs to the main hall like a statue, both unmoving and a little boring. Raj was sure the boy would jump on the opportunity to relax a bit. All of the stuff that had been happening must've been quite stressing to him. He looked a bit more tired, a bit older than Raj had seen him that night at Fort Dunstad. Perhaps he wasn't sleeping well. 

Nevertheless, they would sleep that night. The College provided a proper room to them, two beds, a nice royal red rug, a lit fireplace, and a desk where Raj wrote down his entry for the day's journal. It had been a fairly eventful day, but he focused mostly on the arrival and the care given by the College. It was nice that they were so accommodating for someone on the basis of a single letter, sent only a few days beforehand. 

The room had the sort of homey feel you get out of a log cabin in the woods, secluded and alone from the world. It felt cozy, with the smell of garlic and cheese wafting through the air from the kitchens, a floor below and two rooms away. Raj slid right into the bed that was there, furnished with cotton sheets and a down feather pillow. He practically melted into the finally soft resting place, like he was meant for this bed alone, but as he looked over, Jei seemed to toss and turn in his bed, his back turned to Raj. Poor thing must really be stressed out. Hopefully a solid night's sleep would do him well. 

Raj wasn't sure when he woke up, but the second he came to, something felt wrong. He looked over to see Jei, fast asleep in his bed, but a strange feeling seemed to be creeping over his body, as if he was being watched. The room had stone walls and a wooden door, but no windows or openings. Raj felt cornered by whatever malice hung in the air like thick smoke. 

He stood up, surveying the room. Something had to be concealed in here, he just knew it. He felt it, like a weight on his shoulders, but he couldn't pinpoint the location. Then he tasted it on his lips. He cast a silent spell to probe his body and the reaction was immediate and dire. 

Arsenic.

It was a simple trick to distinguish something like that, the product of years of magical training, but now came the tougher part. Raj focused without panic and charged for another spell. The spell wove through his body as he rose, changing the arsenic into a combo of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon, present mostly in sugars. The sweet taste took over the bitter one that was climbing from the back of his throat. He reached for his sword, casually laid beside his bed, but it wasn't there. Neither was the Elvish one, gone into the night. Raj surged up, and as if by some sense unknown to him, he found whatever it was in his room, just as it dove to slip out of the door.

Without hesitation, Raj lunged after it. 

He heard footsteps falling as he bounded after whatever apparition was so clearly trying to poison him. What would he do when he found the ghost? Could you punch a ghost? Raj didn't care, he needed to stop whatever it was before it could get away. It doesn't pay to poison Raj-Ei. But the closer he came to the surging and shifting thing that he couldn't really make out, the farther it seemed he was. The two chased through halls, up stairs, until they found themselves on the parapets of the huge ringed wall. The eerily tall main hall tower loomed over them, casting a shadow that allowed Raj to finally make out the shape behind his attacker. 

It was a humanoid shape, but there was no way that thing was human. It had a horrible face, smoothed out and rounded, with seemingly painted features. The glossy coat of its face was benign in its demeanour, but its eyes were pitch black, and held such malice that it left an uncanny valley feeling wilting in the air. Its lips were puckered at the very center its mouth, in what seemed to be a smile. The eyes glared at Raj as the snow whipped around them, the winds threatening to blast them right off the floor where they stood, each one eyeing the other precariously. 

Raj took a step forward, and the thing skittered to the edge of the parapet, then its horrible mouth split into a needle-toothed grin. Horns began to protrude from its skull as if it was a demon in disguise. It was going to get away, Raj thought, and he bounded after the horrible creature with every ounce of speed he could muster. But the night would only get worse. 

As if in slow motion, Raj realized two things. That thing, human or not, was wearing a mask.  Whatever stark realism that seemed to make up the thing's face faded until Raj could see the full face mask, but it was rougher, and clearly resting atop fair skin. But it was the second realization that really caught Raj. 

He was falling. 

By some force of weird power, that person, the masked man, pulled the very floor right from under Raj, and he found himself looking straight down into a black ravine, as the wind bit through his skin. He was falling, not into the floor level of the College, but even lower. He felt his body tense. A fall from this height wouldn't just kill him; it would splat him into the rocks below, so hard there might not be much to do in the ways of identification. He fell, face forward, and under the terror reigning in his eyes, he cast one final spell. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm sleepy and I'm posting c6 after this so good night all, happy pride month.


	6. The Dragon Contract

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OOOOOOOOOOOOO TITLE DROP. Glenna doesn't like this. Isandre turns out to be a huge nerd. Jei does some crying. Raj does a cool magic trick. To be fair, he's a pretty magical boy, but this one is a good one, and a fairly illegal one too.

-Raj

_ Whatever hell he was in, Raj was sure it was the worst hell that he could've been saddled with.  _

_ He stood in the charred remains of Anvil. Broken bricks and shattered glass bit into his feet as he walked so passively, as if this wasn't his town, his home. His body cringed in fear as shambling corpses moved around him, so clumsy and misguided in their efforts to even move from one place to the next. A cold hand of ice squeezed his heart for all it was worth, and the smell of smoke and brimstone invaded his nostrils like a knife.  _

_ Around him, he saw faces. Familiar ones. Madena, Grosh, Ahkari, Delia. He recognized some people from home too, some faces he saw in his town. Rory the mail boy, Hart, the town butcher, the warm and welcoming face of Mack in the inn. They were bitten away and decaying, their bodies walking around and rotting in the winds. It was so horrible Raj felt as if he was going to cry, but no emotion came to him except for fear, overwhelming fear.  _

_ As if control has finally been wrested from his legs by his brain, Raj bolted to get away from here, away from the death and destruction, but his legs seemed short, and the world was so long. Helplessness filled his every step with dread as he fell to his knees finally, only a few inches from where he was standing before. Then, the most horrible sight of all.  _

_ Two statues. One crumbling a bit from wear and tear, depicting the horrified face of a young boy as he seemed to sneak through the night, clothed in shadows. Every detail was so painfully precise, that Raj would recognise that face even if half of it was covered or destroyed.  It was the crumbling visage of Got.  _

_ The second statue was far worse. Much newer and more pristine. It depicted the sobbing please for mercy of one last person that Raj wronged. Wronged in such a horrible way.  _

_ Raj stood face to face with the petrified face of Jei.  _

 

Raj felt his body surge forward, and a resounding "No!" rang from his throat before he fell deeper into the pool of water he had been laying in. He scrambled in the tub, splashing water everywhere as he tried to orient himself in this peculiar situation. His eyes were burnt by a light just above him, and as he looked up at the light, he saw the fuzzy outline of a person grabbing him. He heard a voice, motherly and slightly whiny, bark at him.

"Don't thrash in the pools! I just mopped!"

The strange nature of the sentence almost brought Raj back to reality in a snap, but he felt so off in the position he was in. The woman, robed with white and black hair tied up in a bun, snapped her fingers harshly, and a golden light filled the room. As it subsided, Raj found himself entirely lucid, able to see the situation around him with clarity he’d never known before. 

He was in a dark, circular shaped room, with several of these tubs in them, about six or seven. Each one had an apparatus looming over it, and Raj's was letting out a soft golden light above him. He felt the heat from it and the strange sensation one gets when they come out of salt water, as if there is dried soap on them. He cast a small sensory spell and wasn't surprised at the contents of the water; it was saturated with sodium and chloride, made to have him float in it. This was a kind of technique he had heard of only two times, one in Hammerfell, one back in the Marsh. It was a sensory deprivation pool. 

The walls all around were a soft gold and white, emblazoned with pictures of a hand, or a dove, but the most prevalent one was a small red cross. It was dimly lit save the lights above him, only dimly lit by torches on the walls around them. He looked around and saw the woman, a Nord with black hair and blue eyes, but he wasn't alone with her. Just behind her stood Mirabelle Ervine, Jei, and two women. One Raj recognized as the Elf that led them to the College in the first place.

"What happened?" Raj said groggily, his tongue feeling like it weighed a million pounds. 

Mirabelle stepped forward. She wasn't looking at him, instead, her eyes were fixed on the aperture above him, giving him the warm light above. She sighed, and her gaze met Raj's. Her eyes looked distressed and a little worried. 

"We were hoping you could let us know." She began. "Some students reported you running through the halls, then running straight off the walls and into the ravine below. We went to find you, and there you were, somehow still breathing after the fall." She paused ever so slightly and chose her next words carefully. "Are you alright?"

Am I? He felt his body over with a hand. His bones felt like they were throbbing, and his head felt like it had just had an inopportune meeting with a huge rock, but otherwise he felt fine. He just laid there, naked in the tub. 

"I'm uninjured." He confirmed. "I was able to get off a steel skin spell just before I hit the ground, it must've saved me."

The people assembled looked at him with dumbstruck faces. It was Glenna, the Elf, who spoke up first. 

"You mean you didn't want to die?"

The bluntness of the statement was so glaring, Raj felt like she had pushed him. He blinked twice, unable to think of what to say, but his eyes caught Jei's face beside her, and his heart fell farther than his body had just before. 

His eyes were reddened significantly, and he looked like he had been hit by a carriage. He fidgeted with his fingers, swallowing every once in a while, his breathing shuttering with sobs. He must've been crying for hours, and all of the sudden, Raj realized why, with a horrible creeping sensation. They all thought he had attempted suicide. 

"No, no!" Raj said. "I was... Well, it's rather strange."

He explained the situation from the night before to them in as great of detail as he could. It all seemed so fuzzy now, so scattered from what he had done the night before, so he wasn't sure he did a good job, but as soon as he mentioned the mask on the figure, Mirabelle gasped, turning to look at Glenna with a look of surprise. Glenna smirked. 

"It seems I was right about the Cult being here." She said. 

"But why him?" She said, aghast, overlooking the 'I told you so'. "There would be no reason to just kill a scholar."

"I can think of several." She seemed to think very highly of herself. Every word seemed more regal and nuanced than the last. 

"It could be retaliation for breaking up the duel yesterday, or perhaps some sort of initiation for a new cultist." She turned around and began to circle around the tub. "But the more obvious answer could be that the attacker was hoping to halt your study, Raj-Ei. Tell me, what was your little errand again?"

She listened to him explain, then nodded, her eyes glinting maliciously. "That would be blasphemy for them. The skin of Dragons is to be worn by only Dragons, and any copies of it would be considered comparing yourself to a god."

"You sound like you know a good bit about this cult." Raj said. "Hey, could I get a towel?" 

"Oh! Right." The nurse scampered off to a closet just across the room. 

Glenna glared at Raj. "I'll have you know it's been a project of mine. I know more about the Cult of Alduin than anyone else."

"Well, I know nothing about them." Raj said. "Could you explain to me?"

"Gladly, I'll keep it slow, I know how Argonians are." She paced the opposite direction, looping back around to her original spot by the tub. "The Cult of Alduin is a reactionary group to the end of the war. They wish to bring the Dragons back, all of them, including the World Eater himself, and bring them to power. They believe this will help them find ascension."

"Ascension." Raj said. He was ignoring the positively snide body language Glenna was displaying, instead voting to think about her words. "So they're fanatics."

"Maniacs." She agreed. "And it seems you're in their sights now."

Raj looked over at Mirabelle, who seemed even more concerned than before. He felt as if there was something he should say, but he couldn't find the right words. Beside her, Jei spoke up. 

"You mean the Cult is trying to kill us?"

"Yes, I believe I've made that clear." Glenna said. "Have you been paying attention?"

"Enough of that." Said the woman behind Jei and Glenna. She was an older woman, dressed like she had just rustled herself out of bed. "Archmage, what are you thinking?"

Mirabelle looked at the woman. "I'm not sure, Isandre." She paced too, leaving Raj's side to walk over to the doorway out. "It seems you're in danger, Raj-Ei. How will you cope with it?"

"Like I always have." Said Raj, a cocky smile erupting from his mouth. "I'll give them more danger."

Glenna shook her head. "They'd outsmart you in seconds. What you need is some kind of bodyguard."

"Are you volunteering?" Asked Isandre behind her. 

"Absolutely not." Glenna turned up her nose. "I'd rather not sully myself with such a quest. And I like to keep with more dignified company."

"Glenna, you will go with them." Mirabelle said, nodding in agreement. "It's the only logical person for the job. No one knows about the cult better than you."

"Archmage!" She said, and she jumped to protest, but Mirabelle held up a hand. 

"I will be sure to conduct a thorough comb of students and staff to find whoever is based in the College, but you have to go, Glenna. You're the only person that makes sense."

"May I volunteer myself as well?" Asked Isandre. She turned to look at Raj, who was starting to sit up from the tub as a towel had been found for him. "I've been around Skyrim a few times, and I like to think I know the right people to keep a quest rolling smoothly."

Mirabelle nodded. "You'll be invaluable, Isandre. I give you permission, should the scholar choose to accept your aid."

Raj shrugged. “Sounds good to me. Are you sure you can spare them?” He felt the nudge of a soft, fibrous towel and started to stand from the tub, spilling salt water everywhere as he covered up.

“It’ll be a task, but I would much rather your research be accomodated. I can’t have the reputation of the College be tarnished by sending you unprepared on a study like that.” Mirabelle looked away as Raj stood up, but seemed the only one to give the courtesy. 

“Your help is more than appreciated. I’ll be in your debt.” Raj intoned seriously. 

“It’s our pleasure to help.” She replied. 

Glenna slumped her shoulders a bit. “I guess I’ll go pack a travel bag.”

“And I as well. Can we meet somewhere outside of the College, then?”

Raj nodded, walking towards the door. His armour would be in his bed quarters. Jei seemed to catch the meaning of his movements and ran to follow him. 

“The weaponsmith store owned by Hands-In-Flames. I have some unfinished business there. We meet in two hours.”

And he walked out, the conversation and the agreement of two new partners pushing aside the poisonous thought of the nightmare he had experienced. 

-Jei

Finding out the person who promised to stick by your side didn’t try to kill themselves by jumping off of a big school was a good feeling. The morning had been such a mix of hectic and heartbreaking that he actually enjoyed waiting at Hands’ place, relaxing and gathering his thoughts. 

He wasn’t sure what his partner was thinking, however. He watched him, confidently sitting in the chair as if he hadn’t just fallen off of a building and only lived because he could turn himself into metal. Though to be fair, that was a really cool power to have. It just seemed more and more like Raj didn’t care what was going on. And though his bravado seemed to be the source, Jei got a sneaking suspicion pride and confidence had nothing to do with it.

Then again, what did he know? He sat, swaying in his chair, watching as Hands and Raj conversed with such comradery you’d figure they had been friends for years. Deej was in the back, chopping firewood. It didn’t at all seem like there was an attempted murder and an impossible quest hanging in the air. 

The small parlor they sat in was furnished with very little, but had a nice fire pit in the middle. Wooden and stone walls were decorated with banners and a few tools that looked well used, but the most discerning part of the room was the chandelier of knives, suspended over the fire. Hands had made it himself as an aesthetic project, and if Jei was being honest, it was the coolest thing he had ever seen. 

They waited for a solid half hour before a knock came to the door. It had been between some hilarious joke Hands had made, so Jei stood up as the other two laughed uproariously.

He opened the door to find Glenna and Isandre, with bags slung over their backs and a mixed bag of expressions on their face. Isandre couldn’t look happier, but Glenna glared daggers at Jei, her eyes glinting with something between disgust and pure hate. 

“I see you found the place fine.” He said, the snark directed at Glenna specifically. 

“You’re lucky I don’t break your jaw.” Glenna spat at him.  
“What she means is, it was easy.” Isandre said with a sassy drawl. “I assume there is a reason we met here?”

From across the room, Raj’s voice joined the conversation. “Of course! Come over, sit down.”

With all five of the company grouped together around a table, shuffled off into a corner of parlor, Isandre produced a piece of paper. She held it in her hand, not calling attention to it, as Raj spoke.

“I want to thank you all for coming.” He started. “I know you all have a lot of work to get to, and that this quest might not be the best use of your time, but I promise that it will pay big dividends, and I’ll be sure to make it more than worth your while.”

“Yes, we all so very much enjoy the posturing.” Glenna bit out. “What is the plan? Where are we going first?”

Raj ignored the snide remark and continued. As he spoke, Hands produced 5 iron daggers, laying them on the table carefully. “I have a few places in mind to start looking, but I’d like to talk about the matter of your payment first.”

“Please do.” Isandre laughed.

Raj set his hands on the daggers that laid on the table, and his eyes glowed a sickly green. When he lifted his gauntlets away, each iron blade had been changed, altered from the dull and rugged grey to a lustrous gold. He picked up one dagger and gave it a little bend. What used to be hard iron bent softly like gold would. Isandre’s eyes widened, and Glenna stopped her scowling. Jei felt his jaw drop at what looked like a simple parlor trick to Raj.

“This is highly illegal, but I offer you these daggers as payment for your services.” Raj continued, his face showing his full awareness at the sudden silence of the table. “And it’s up front.”

“Kid, for this much, I’ll find you six dragons.” Isandre said with a whistle. 

“And what’s to keep me from just taking the dagger and walking away?” Glenna piped up. “I could report you to the authorities and have the dagger and more.”

Raj shrugged. “I would think a High Elf like yourself would have more honor than that, but to be honest, nothing is stopping you.” He pulled his hands from the table. “Are you planning on turning me in?”

“She’s not.” Isandre said, and she moved to place the piece of paper on the table. Jei watched her unfurl it and lay it flat. It looked like some sort of legal document, about one foot of parchment long, with an elaborate and sweeping text on it. Jei skimmed it, and saw before him a very special document, one Isandre must’ve spent the whole two hours preparing meticulously. 

“What’s this?” Jei asked.

“It’s an agreement. We are together now, and on this journey, our lives depend on each other.” She looked at Glenna maybe a little accusatorily. “We will function as a unit or die as a unit, simply put. By signing this, you all agree to do whatever you can to be sure our party doesn’t separate until the success of our goal.”

Raj looked the piece of paper over, like he did the books, his eyes darting over it with precision Jei figured he must’ve been faking. A wide grin erupted from his face. 

“You’re calling it the Dragon Contract?”

“It seemed very appropriate.” Isandre replied. Some sort of agreement passed through the two, as if they were thinking of exactly the same thing at the same time. Jei, well, Jei thought the name was a bit corny. 

“And why should I sign?” Glenna growled. She had taken to sitting back and small in her chair, reducing her huge stature down to look like that of a pouting child. 

“Because if you don’t, you don’t get to use my tent.” Isandre said firmly. “Raj, you and Jei will sign it?”

“Of course.” Raj looked all around for a quill, only to find Isandre producing one from her robes and handing it to him. He signed, and handed the sheet to Jei. 

This whole scenario couldn’t get much worse, Jei thought, and he signed his name on the paper. He had three people around him to protect him after all, and he was getting paid in solid gold. 

Glenna signed the paper as reluctantly as she could make visible, and Hands stood up, grabbing his own golden dagger from the table. “Well, I suppose you’d best be off now. You’ve probably got about six hours of daylight left, and it’s supposed to get mighty cold tonight.”

He stood up and walked over to the lone weapons rack in the room, pulling a sword with a tag tied to it up from it as if it was some sort of umbrella. He handed it to Jei, and along with it, a shield bearing the crest of the Winterhold Guard. Outfitted fully, there wasn’t a doubt in Jei’s mind; this is where he was supposed to be. 

Isandre finished signing her name and rolled the contract up, putting it away in her pocket. The finality of the situation was heavy, but as Jei looked around at his compatriots, he found he only trusted Raj, and barely so. Hopefully he would find himself closer to these people, except Glenna. He didn’t expect to get any closer to her. 

“With that out of the way.” Hands stood in front of Raj. The two apparently had bonded fairly well over the last two conversations. “Get out of my fucking house.” Hands finished with a smile. 

“Thank you for everything.” Raj said with a shake of his hand. Glenna and Isandre stood up from their chairs. 

“Thank you for what you’ve done as well.” Hands replied. “My home is here for you and any company you deem worthy.”

They embraced, and as everyone said their goodbyes, they left the door of their new friend, and for the first time since this journey started, Jei thought about what would happen next. 

 

-Raj

Raj hadn’t realised how much of a weight he had on his shoulders until

Jei was finally armed with sword and shield. He wouldn’t be able to fight off a troll with those, but he would at least have something to distract it with until Raj could cleave it in half. He looked so awkward in his new armor, it almost brought a twinkle to Raj’s eyes. His brain was quick to tell him he should probably not get too attached.

_ You know, he’s most likely gonna die from all of this. _ A whine in his head said. Reasonable to think, but Raj was somehow sure that he had more in him than just some small kid. As they talked on the road, Raj discovered that Jei seemed to know a fair bit about swordplay, at least from the standpoint of someone who is fairly untrained. They spoke back and forth about it, and even did some motions as they journeyed down the torn stone roads that connected Winterhold to the world beyond. 

It got colder, as you’d expect. The sun started to pitch from the sky nearly an hour after they began their walk, and it quickly took a toll on the temperature, but each of them had warm clothing now, and they trudged forward into the snowy night. 

As they walked on, Raj took the silence to split the dream he had into pieces. It wasn’t a dream as much as it was a vision, he came to realize. It was too lucid and vivid for it to be anything else. It could’ve been the result of some stray dementia magic in the College, surely something like that wouldn’t be too far from common. But a creeping suspicion fell into his brain that perhaps it was planted there. Perhaps the creature he had seen the night before, the cult assassin, was some sort of dream being. 

The world seemed to fade around him as he walked, and he fell into a proper groove with his footfalls. He tried to picture the scene again, to piece it together before his eyes. There was Anvil in ruins, the zombies of his friends and neighbors, then the two statues of Got and Jei. He knew zombies scared him, hell, the whole situation was terrifying, but as he pieced together the details of the dream in his head, he noticed a few other details. 

He himself was dead in the vision. Or at least, he was looking from the perspective of a dead person into the world that was so horribly destroyed. The air was thick and smelled like brimstone, as rich as it could be, all around. Wherever it was, it was hotter than Anvil, and far drier than the ocean breeze that would usually be there.

Another detail he had missed was a large archway off in the distance. It looked like it had just shot from the earth, with the ground cracked around it, and some weird distortion of light coming from it. Perhaps this was the source of the ruin Raj had seen around him? Perhaps it was nothing but an illusion placed into his mind. There were too many possibilities, ranging from heavily doctored visuals to full blown prophecy. Neither of them boded well with Raj. He would have to keep on his guard. 

To be quite honest, though, Raj wasn’t incredible concerned. The only problem he could think of was the deadline, which was definitely an elephant in the room, but was also a long ways away. Surely he could find a dragon by then. 

The moon was rising in the sky. The sun was dipping low, and with it, a eerie darkness crept over the mountains around them. Raj didn’t pay attention to the eyes in the mountains, looking at him and his company with murderous rage. He only kept his goal in mind, and waited for the sun to rise again. 

 

The group walked through the night in the biting snow, past Stillborn cave and down the various backtracks to take them down the face of the mountain. They followed the river past a mill, and in the distance, the grim city of Windhelm stood, looming over them, casting a shadow far beyond them. It seemed like a void towards which the river crept, a city of shadow and ice set upon a pool of black oil that was the port opening. 

“It’s harrowing just looking at it.” Isandre said under her breath.

“Is something wrong?” Jei asked innocently. 

Raj spoke up. “I’m not sure how much you know about the civil war, but as it was going on, there were several reports of some dark magicks going on in Windhelm.”

“Some say that was a reason why Ulfric started the conflict.” Isandre carried on. “He was working with the dark magicians and wanted to distract the general population.”

“What kind of magic?” Jei asked. Raj felt his heart drop as a quiver of fear sprung into the boy’s voice. 

“It’s nothing to worry about, I promise. Some people do strange and bad things sometimes, but it’s nothing that well meaning people with their wits about them can’t deal with.” Raj tried to be as reassuring as he could, and even slowed his pace to stand beside Jei. 

“I heard it was necromancy.” Glenna said curtly. “The magicians would rape small girls and stitch up their bodies to serve as their slaves as they contacted more powerful forces.”

Raj felt as Jei almost collided with him, sticking closer than before.

“I heard it was Daedric communication.” Isandre said. “We may both be right, if you think about it. Which Daedra is the lord of cannibalism and death?”

“Namira, Lady of Rot.” Glenna answered. “It makes sense, several reports of missing limbs from the Halls of the Dead suggest someone was having a late night snack in the catacombs.”

“Perhaps there was some of that… What is it called again?” Isandre seemed to wrack her brains. “Necroalchemy, yes. Where you take several body parts and make something like a huge, 15 armed zombie man.”

Jei was practically shaking in his boots, and it was edging into territory that terrified even Raj. “I think it’s time we cut it out.” Raj said. He tried to add an edge of intimidation into his voice, but he wasn’t sure if it came out right. He put his hand on Jei’s shoulder, and the boy leaned into him.

“Of course.” Isandre said, giving Jei an apologetic look. “For what it’s worth, I see no reason to go to Windhelm. The inn isn’t very good, but it’s also not safe since the Jarl was replaced. Riots are more than frequent, and it’s not really worth the hassle.”

“Whatever happened to ol’ Jarl Ulfric?” Glenna asked.

“He was paid off, imagine that.” Raj replied with a small shrug. “He found himself near the end of his rope, and the Emperor offered him a nice home and care for the rest of his life if he would step down.”

“The Stormcloaks never really came back from that blow.” Isandre said with a fleeting sadness to her voice. “And here we stay, choked by the weed of the Empire.”

Glenna huffed impatiently. “You side with the Stormcloaks? I thought better of you.”

Isandre shrugged. “The Stormcloaks were right about the poison that the Empire posed to Skyrim. Perhaps it hasn’t been so bad, but I would’ve fought by their side, if it hadn’t been for their disdain for any mortal other than a Nord.”

There was silence after these words, to which everyone casually surrendered. It was fairly true; the Empire had done nothing but prop up several of the most vile and self-serving people in the land. Several communities were crushed, including Winterhold and Dawnstar, for a long time as port cities like Windhelm, Solitude and Riften were allowed to consolidate their wealth amongst themselves. Several of the cities that made the most money were also the most corrupt, and had mile deep deals with local thieves guilds to keep their pockets protected and the local businesses in line. Luckily, some of those times were behind them.

As they came past the bridge across the inky black river, right before Windhelm, the party paused. It had been an hour since sundown, and there was a temptation to go to Windhelm despite Isandre’s warnings, but the old woman spoke up.

“The road leads on, into a warmer place nearby. Kynesgrove has a wonderful inn, and it’s far safer.”

It was almost too tempting for Raj. He looked at Windhelm with a longing he hadn’t felt in a while, but shook his head. It wasn’t just himself he was looking after.

“To Kynesgrove, then.” He announced.

“Bye, spooky city.” He heard Jei mutter under his breath. 

They walked on, and just as Isandre promised, the air did get colder. No longer did the winds whip snow and ice around in the air, but they hung heavy with mist and fog, moving almost seamlessly from dry and cold to warm and humid with only a brief respite of crisp air in between. It was still cold, mind you, Raj wasn’t sweating at all, but the air and water was warmer than it had been before, and the results carried into the air like a blanket. 

Glenna seemed to perk up a bit in the new weather. She had been rather closed with her movements, even huddled into the blanket she wore over her head and ears, but now, she let her hair out and into the air, and let her arms swing at her side. 

Before Raj could really recognize it, the wooden frame of an inn was in front of him on the road. It had a few dim lights on, and it’s weathered plank walls seemed to pulsate with the life of guests and such. Raj felt himself relax as they proceeded into Braidwood Inn, safe for the night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy pride Glenna is lesbian, so is Delia and her wife, Grosh, Hands, and Deej are all gay, and Raj is bi, so you can all bask in the wonderful gay rep.


	7. An Entertaining Duo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet two assholes and that goes south. Jei's dreams get worse, and we get the feeling Raj is in the sights of some sorta assassin.

-Jei

_The dreams had come again, just like the spectral animal had predicted. What little sleep Jei got at the College was polluted with hundreds of sword fights and only a couple dozen deaths. It seemed to be pleasing to the ghostly patron Jei had picked up. But again, whenever Jei tried to speak, no words came out._

_In Braidwood Inn, however, the training was short. After Jei felled the last of the hunter spirits, there was a moment of silence where he turned to look at the spectral lamb again. It regarded him coldly, almost as if it didn’t wish to even see him, but there was something off about that assessment. It seemed to have human mannerisms in an animal form. Very strange indeed._

_Who are you? Jei asked, and with a start, he heard his own voice come out._

**_Who are you?_ ** _The lamb echoed._

_I’m Jei. He answered back, peering at the face of the vague animal closer._

**_I am your patron now, Jei, and you are my glittering prize._ ** _The animal bowed his head._

_I don’t understand. Jei said_

**_You will in time._ ** _The Lamb looked up at the sky._ **_They all learn in time._ **

_Just as the spirit spoke, there seemed to be a draining in the sky. Jei looked up to see the red moon from before phasing out of the sky. It seemed to be overtaken by a black cloud, but the further it went, the redder the world became, until it cast a weight on Jei’s shoulders. He brought his eyes down to see the lamb, but there was no lamb. The creature was hunched over, quadrupedal in nature, and its usual spectral form seemed far more tangible than before. Rough and sinewy muscles rippled as it reared up, and only too late did Jei realize what was going on._

_Jei awoke as the massive wolf’s jaw clasped firmly around his neck._

 

   Again, there was no waking with a start. He simply sat up from where he was, and the crisp air of morning dew hit his nose. He wasn’t in that wretched place, but instead in an inn.

   He sat up from where he was sleeping seconds ago, right next to Raj in a sleeping bag. The giant man had finally gotten some sleep in about the first time Jei could remember. He looked peaceful, like his mind was being washed clean of the fears of only one night ago.

   Jei sat up, and only then did he realize the bustle that seemed to be roaring just outside their door. It was curious to say the least, this wasn’t at all a packed inn when they laid their heads down, and while the promise of the hot springs nearby was tantalizing, it didn’t at all merit the low rumble of conversation as people moved in and out of the door. Perhaps there were just large families.

   Jei got dressed. His armor felt so much more comfortable, like a specific shell of skin he had grown accustomed to. When he slid it on, it caught on the necklace Jei had received, what felt like years ago, from Jader just before he said goodbye.

   Jader had seemed pretty dead set on Solitude. Perhaps he had caught a carriage from Winterhold. Jei couldn’t imagine how long of a trek that would be, but nevertheless, he was vastly grateful to see his friend again. He righted the necklace on his neck and finished dressing. The food outside smelled amazing, and he didn’t want to miss a morsel.

   As he stepped outside, he realised that all of the traffic from before was gone. They must’ve headed outside or something, because only a few patrons sat at the benches of the main room, where a bar and kitchen served an early and groggy breakfast. Jei got eggs and some salted beef that was maybe a little too chewy. He washed it down with a strawberry muffin and a glass of fresh milk from a cow Jei hadn’t seen on the way in. It all tasted fairly good, but Jei was distracted. Everyone was distracted.

   Constantly, someone would walk into the store, grab something from their room, then run out. A few of them were talking in hurried tones about magic and knives. Perhaps there were some performers outside? As more and more people came in and out, it became futile to resist the crowd. Jei finished his food and walked outside.

   Breathing in the fresh air, Jei surveyed the grounds around the inn. The rolling hills that filled the distance were steeped in a heavy mist, from the flowing river and the strange heat in the air. Pine trees shot up from the mist and reached farther into the sky than Jei thought was possible. A few small chickens walked around within the boundaries of the inn, which were marked by the tattered road, and a decaying stone wall that was being worked on by several burly men. It stretched out a couple hundred yards in front of him and circled the wooden, two story building behind him.

   There was a swarm of people in the campgrounds within the inn, all crowded around something Jei couldn’t quite make out. They would clap loudly, then pause for a second before gasping sharply, all together, then clapping all over again. He walked over to figure out what the crowd was for, but despite his pushing and searching, he was unable to find an entry in the wall of people to see whatever it was they were looking at. He stood back, perplexed, hoping to find an opening, when he heard footsteps coming behind him. He turned to see Raj, awake and clothed in a tunic and his armor leggings.

   He seemed drowsy, but he wore a soft smile as he approached, taking a bite out of an apple and chewing it thoughtfully. He looked so much more… normal now that he wasn’t grandstanding at a party full of mages or wearing an imposing set of armor. He looked like a normal man, maybe a bit more built than your average Joe. He had a sarcastic glare in his eyes, which were lidded slightly, looking at Jei like he was barely paying attention to him.

   Jei felt his face warm a bit, and he looked at the ground. “Good morning.” He said almost sheepishly.

   “What’s with the crowd?” Raj said with a mouth full of apple.

   Jei shrugged. “I haven’t been able to get through and see. Too many people.”

   Raj nodded and took another bite of his apple. He chewed thoughtfully for a second before walking to the edge of the crowd. He stood a head taller than the people directly in front of him, so he peered over them effortlessly. Jei felt his expression sour, insult being added to injury as this tall man solved a problem in a way Jei wouldn’t be able to.

   Raj seemed to stare perplexed at whatever spectacle had drawn, before a sudden buzzing gasp fell over the crowd again. Everyone clapped again, at whatever trick had been played, and Raj looked down at Jei with a grin.

   “You’ve gotta see this.” He said.

   “I really wish I could.” Jei barked irritably. “I’m not a giant like you.”

   Raj reached over and grabbed Jei’s waist, and with a jolt Jei wasn’t at all prepared for, Raj hoisted Jei up. The motion was too quick for Jei to really register, but before he knew it, he was sitting on Raj’s shoulders, his head peeking just over the crowd, getting the best view of the performers on the campground below.

   There were two of them, each with golden blonde hair and pale skin. They moved so fluidly, Jei had a hard time tracking their movements, as they shifted from side to side, using the movements to draw attention to certain things, and then, bam, to another thing. One of them took a helmet from a box and covered it with a handkerchief. Then suddenly, they took a big long step across from one another, obscuring the helmet for just a solitary second, just long enough that when they pulled the kerchief off, the helmet was gone from existence. One of them waved their hand in circles, making waves of black smoke from the tips of their fingers, obscuring their movements and blurring the black robes they wore.

   It was a spectacular show, but Jei couldn’t help but feel his stomach turn as the two brothers did their tricks of sleight and fancy. They were all too familiar, their wolfish grins, their well built faces and gaunt cheeks with those striking green eyes. They had always been tricksters, but something felt very off about this performance. Neither of them had known magic before leaving from the bandits, and now it seemed like they both had. He tapped on Raj’s shoulder to try and get out of their sight, but before he could even convey that message, he caught eyes with one of them. And his heart turned to ice.

   It was as if the world muted for a second, the world turning a tinge of red, and every other colour draining from their saturation, until the whole world was in only black and white. He met eyes with this entertainer, who was currently in the middle of juggling knives by the blade. And the entertainer looked back, a feral gaze in his eyes. It was as if the world around him had slowed down, and the only two people moving at the same speed were Jei and that man. That cursed man.

   Marv and Aurelius had made their way to Windhelm, after all. And apparently had picked up a few tricks in their off time.

 

   After the rest of the show, which consisted of staggeringly complex tricks and some cool illusions, the crowd dispersed, and Raj took Jei down from his shoulders. Getting his balance was difficult for a second, as the strange magnitude of what he had seen weighed down on him.

   He had gone to that spectral animal’s plane. And he saw Aurelius, the shaggier of the brothers, and they locked eyes. It was almost as if they had had a conversation in the time between, Jei couldn’t tell. All he knew was the trickster had locked eyes with him and wouldn’t stop. Every time Jei looked down to see what was going on in the performance, he would see Aurelius staring at him.

   If that wasn’t strange enough, it was even more strange to see what Aurelius was doing with his fingers. He would conjure up a thick black smoke that would curl and flow through the scene they created, the tricks they played, and obscure their actions from the viewers, but something seemed all the more malicious about it. When the onlookers finally dispersed properly, Jei could see the grass where they stood was withered and dead, while the rest of the surrounding grass was perfectly fine. Whatever it was, Jei didn’t feel too keen about stepping in or through the smoke.

   Perhaps it wasn’t an issue. Maybe Jei was just overreacting on some illusionism. Maybe this was all part of the trick. But as Jei thought each of these thoughts, a seed of doubt, a strong feeling of sinking dread, filled up his bones and covered his skin like an ink. Whatever this was, it meant something. And it meant something bad.

   Jei remembered the words of Delia. There were other people who had these dreams. And they would want to harm Jei. This was exactly that situation.

   Raj seemed unfazed by the performance, save the amused smirk he was wearing now as he threw his apple as far afield as he could. The two sat on rocks in the main yard of the inn. Raj had suggested they let the food settle before getting too deeply into sword training.

   “So that was a cool performance.” Raj remarked casually. “I didn't know Skyrim had street performers.”

   Jei shifted uncomfortably. He was about to speak, when out of the corner of his eye, he saw something move. Instincts he didn't know he had had him grasp the hilt of his sword. Perhaps Raj sensed the danger too, because he surged upward as the sound of footsteps could be heard behind them from the inn.

   It was none other than Marv and Aurelius.

   Jei tensed more, but Raj let out a soft chuckle. “If it isn't the performers! Your ears must be burning, we were just talking about you.”

   Marv spoke first. “Marvelous! Only good things, I hope?” Something about his voice seemed more defined than it usually was.

   “Only good things.” Raj confirmed. “The sleight of hand was perfectly in point, even I couldn't follow most of your tricks.”

   “Another master of the trade, I suppose?” Marv asked warmly.

   “Not exactly, I just know a very good bit about magic.”

   “So I've heard. An old friend of our is travelling with you on your quest, a woman by the name of Isandre.”

   Raj laughed out loud. “She wasn't kidding when she said she knew everyone in Skyrim.”

   The two men continued their warming conversation, but Jei couldn't raise his eyes. He stared at his toes frightfully, too scared to even date to make eye contact with Aurelius. But when a low, deep chuckle caught his ear, he looked up to see the scruffy man smiling.

   “Long time, no see.” He whispered.

   Jei hesitated. “Yes.”

   “You look much older than last time I saw you.” He continued, raising a hand. Wisps of black smoke started to curl in the air from the tips of his fingers. “I can't believe how much has changed since Fort Dunstad. It's amazing what only a few months can do.”

   “What do you mean?” Jei almost spat.

   Aurelius didn't answer, but instead smiled.

   “-and the two of us have been travelling ever since!” Marv finished saying. “We found that performers tricks suited us perfectly for wowing an audience.”

   “It certainly doesn't disappoint.” Raj agreed.

   “By the way, regarding your own travels.” Marv turned to Aurelius, breaking the intimidating man’s gaze from Jei. “Isn't it here that there's an ancient dragon burial mound? Perhaps that would be a good place for them to check out.”

   “Indeed.” Aurelius growled. “It's far up the hill, I'm sure the innkeeper would be happy to tell you all about it.”

   “Lovely.” Marv quipped. “Perhaps that would be helpful to your research.”

   “I'll take what I can get.” Raj nodded. “Thanks for the tip.”

   “Our pleasure, for sure. Well, you must excuse us, we have some tricks to practise. Aurelius!”

   Aurelius didn't move for a second. Jei saw him grit his teeth and his muscles tensed, like he wanted to do something but was being held back for some reason. Jei felt a knot form in his throat, and for what felt like an hour, they locked eyes.

   There was no illusion here. This was a look of malice.

   But he digressed and turned, walking off with Marv, the craftier of the two, leaving something in the air, something tense. Jei had the acute feeling that this wasn't the last he'd see of them, that's for sure.

   Raj waved them goodbye, then turned to look at Jei, not a wrinkle of doubt or suspicion in his eyes.

   “Ready to do some training?”

 

-Raj

   Training had been fairly easy. Jei was very quickly grasping the basic concepts and motions, almost astonishingly. Perhaps he was some sort of a prodigy, but he did have some trouble with his own bodily limitations, overestimating his speed and the blocking power he would have against Raj’s greatsword. With some training and physical tune up, he would be a fairly threatening fighter, and in no time, too.

   Raj made his way into the inn, spoke with Isandre about the dragon burial, and set up a small tour with the innkeeper, who was no professional, but had seen the burial mound a fair hundred times. It was the best Raj would get.

   Isandre had been very helpful. She informed him of some of the history of the area, and the importance of this specific mound. It was the final resting place of Sahloknir, one of the first Dragons be resurrected.

   “Resurrected?” Raj asked.

   Isandre nodded. “They were all but extinct. No dragon was left in Tamriel, let alone Skyrim. But the World Eater came and brought them back from the grave.”

   Raj had a grin of disbelief, but Isandre seemed dead serious. “They were brought back from the dead? Was it necromancy?”

   Isandre pondered the question for a second. They were seated outside on the deck of the inn, watching the wind in the silent pines.

   “Dragons aren't like mortals.” She said slowly. “Our souls are free. We die, and we are moved on into the Domain of Arkay. But Dragons, they are more… steadfast. Their souls cling to their remains beyond their demise.”

   Raj listened perplexedly. He didn't know a lot about necromancy, but he did know that it was never perfect. It brought back the body or the soul, but never both, never together. A Lich was different, but even then it wasn't true second life. But this didn't sound like necromancy or Lichism. It sounded like a second birth.

   “Alduin spoke their bodies back to life, and their souls we're rebound. There was no zombie, no ghost, but a fully formed dragon. Sahloknir was only alive a short period of time before he was killed, and his soul rended from his body by the Dragonborn.”

   “That's the second time I've heard that phrase. Who is the Dragonborn?”

   “She was a Nord, like me. I met her a few times, but she was distant from the world in a way I couldn't imagine. She was not only a mortal, but the blood of Dragons flowed through her, a gift from Akatosh. After her success over Alduin 30 years ago, she merely vanished.” Isandre sighed. “Some say she passed away in the woods, never to be found.”

   “What do you believe?” Raj asked.

   “I believe she chose to live with the Dragons as a humble servant. She wasn't made for mortalkind. She yearned to be among her own people.”

   “Hmm.” Raj said thoughtfully. There was silence for a while, as the winds pushed like waves against the evergreens.

   Isandre stood up and stretched. “You might make your way up to the mound. The innkeeper shouldn't be too long. Hopefully you will get the insight you need.”

   “Let's hope.” Raj agreed, standing up. He took the path he had been shown, walking uphill as snow began to fall from the sky.

 

   It was a fairly long time waiting up there, if Raj was being honest.

   The burial mound was high on the hill, tucked away on a cliff, surrounded by verdant trees speckled with the powdery snow falling from the sky. Huge rings of chiseled stone surrounded by small pillars, all worn by ages and ages of inclement weather, marked the remarkable gravesite. In the middle of the rings, limpy dirt looked to be settling finally after being interrupted 30 years ago. Perhaps it was a trick of the wind, but Raj felt like he heard whispers between the pillars.

   He waited, silently and patiently. He hadn’t brought his sword, so he couldn’t really practise maneuvers or anything, so the wait seemed even longer.

   He also hadn’t brought the Elven sword. He pondered his trophy, using the mental distraction to keep himself occupied. It was far too light for his own uses, and while the sharpness and durability were tempting, he wasn’t sure if he really liked the extra maintenance. Perhaps he could sell it at the next city, Riften, or he could try to find a good price for it here. Was anyone peddling at the inn? He would have to check.

   A tingle went down his spine while he was lost in thought. Perhaps just the cold. Should he move more to keep warm? Perhaps a dance would hit the spot. Why did Raj want to dance all of the sudden? He felt hazy all of the sudden, like the world was being filled with a heavy fog. Perhaps there was just a song in his head. Raj felt his muscles loosen up as he did a small shuffle, to a rhythm he couldn’t hear, but it was there. He felt enchanted on that hill in the soft snow.

   Too enchanted. Raj snapped back into consciousness when he heard a rustling in the trees behind him. It must’ve been the wind, but the noise was too hostile for him to simply pass by. His heart started pumping faster. He felt light headed, and with a nod of recognition, he came back to his senses. This was how he had felt the night before. He half expected to see the ephemeral masked person in front of him again, but all he was was the world that was around only… five? Ten minutes ago? How much time had passed.

   He reached back instinctively to grab his sword, but he found nothing. He hadn’t brought it with him, he remembered, and apparently, this distraction was just enough to get the ball rolling for worse things. With a burst, the bushes behind him tore open, and he felt someone’s arms grab around his torso.

   Trying to match Raj in a test of strength was a foolhardy idea in the first place. A swift elbow struck the head of whoever had grabbed him, and suddenly he was free to move around. Before anything else could go worse, he wove a quick spell to turn his skin to stone. Whoever jumped him lay in a puddle on the floor for only a second, before leaping at him again.

   It was the innkeeper. The same tall Redguard man from the night before, with the well defined jaw and the handlebar moustache, but something was very different with his yes. They were solid white orbs, not even a vein of blood in them. He moved swiftly and precisely, but his demeanour, his silence, tipped off a more malicious possession. Someone was controlling him, somehow.

   Raj would have to go easy.

   The man charged at him again, and where Raj would usually throw a punch, he went low. He felt the man’s arm glance just to the side of his head, and slipped his arm up under his attacker’s blow. It was simple to pivot around the man and take control from behind, pinning one of his arms, his own pressed tightly against the assailant’s throat. He tensed, feeling the writing, the fighting of the man he held, but it was all for naught. The fight was over just as it started as his body went limp, falling to the ground in a heap.

   The fight was over, but the threatening presence wasn’t. Raj was sure it was the masked person, but he couldn’t see the figure with the horrifying face. He turned, looking everywhere, but there was nothing to see. Perhaps another trick of the mind. He felt his head tighten as if a sudden migraine was on him, and he realized he had found everything he was gonna find here. Without another moment's hesitation, Raj ran back to the inn.

 

   Literally running into a frantic Jei hurt a lot more than Raj thought it would. They collided with such force that had Raj still been stone, Jei definitely would’ve broken some important bones. As it were, they rolled down the rest of the hill, right to the feet of Isandre and Glenna, who looked on like one would to a particularly amusing piece of roadkill.

   Jei flailed wildly and shouted out in frustration while the Raj sorted out the two. They both stood, panting for a second, before Jei exploded in words.

   “My necklace! Those filthy assholes took my necklace!” Was about the best Raj could make of it. “I swear if I get my hands on those two idiots I’m gonna wring their f-”

   “Slow down.” Raj said, with a tone of urgency. Jei was about as heated as a flame at this point, to the point that Raj could actually feel extra warmth radiating off his small, angry body. He turned his eyes to Isandre.

   She shrugged. “He says that Marv and Aurelius stole his necklace. The one some man named Jader gave him.”

   “Sounds fairly trivial to me.” Glenna added, rather unnecessarily. “It’s just a necklace.”

   “Don’t you ‘it’s just a necklace me’ you pointy eared f-” Jei started before his speech was stopped by Raj’s hand.

   “Wait. What makes you think it was the performers?” He asked.

   “They’re bandits! They were at Fort Dunstad for a while, then they left off. They have to have stolen it. Aurelius-” This time Jei stopped himself.

   “Maybe they went clean.” Glenna said, waving a hand in the air. “It’s suspicious that you would be at a bandit camp yourself, Jei. Have you something to hiss at us?”

   “Enough.” Raj said with a heavy force in his tone. “Listen, whether or not it’s true, the Cult of Alduin is here. I just got attacked by the innkeeper up on the dragon mound hill. It was the exact same presence.”

   “What makes you so sure?” Isandre asked suddenly.

   Raj shook his head. “I know the feeling from last night. It’s caused me too much trouble to forget.”

   “Do you think the Cult and the twins are working together?” Glenna asked, her stance widening, her body language opening. “The Cult has been known to be good at manipulating people to meet their whims. Perhaps they intend to destroy the whole group, by luring us away from each other.”

   “Marv and Aurelius told you about that mound up there.” Jei reminded Raj. “They have to be working together.”

   Raj nodded. “We need to find out where they’re hiding out before we can do anything.” He said strategically. “Did anyone hear anything?”

   “Easy, they’re in Cragwallow Slope.” Isandre interjected. “I asked if they were staying at the inn, so they told me about it.”

   Raj felt his brow furrow. So they knew they might not get away with it. If they told Isandre, it made sense that they would expect her to tell them, should anything come up. They would be walking into a trap, most likely.

   “I’m concerned we might be playing into their hands.” Isandre said, taking the words right out of Raj’s mouth. “They must know we’ll be coming.”

   “I’m sure it’ll be nothing I can’t handle.” Glenna said smoothly. “I’ve fought two on one before, several times.”

   “It shouldn’t matter.” Jei said frustratingly. “They won’t be expecting Raj there anyway.”

   “We need a plan.” Raj said finally.

   “No we don’t.” said Jei and Glenna simultaneously, before turning to give each other withering glances.

   Isandre’s head fell into her hands exasperatedly. “I don’t suppose we need a plan, honestly. Marv talks a good game, but he’s dim. Aurelius is even more so.”

   “How do you even know these thieves?” Glenna said with disgust.

   “I used to knit with their mother. I’ve known them for as long as they remember.” Isandre waved her hand. “It’s not important. We need to move before it gets dark out, they’ll have the advantage then.”

   “I agree.” Raj said with a nod. “Point the way to Cragwallow.”

 

-Jei

   Rage seethed in every inch of Jei’s bones, but that didn’t mean his caution was without him. He knew very well they were walking into a trap.

   They came up on the cave just before the sun began to dip in the sky, the clouds touched with orange as it descended. There had been no talk of a plan, but as he looked over his compatriots, he decided they wouldn’t really need one. Raj was a literal tank in the right context, and Glenna looked ever more useful with her quick rapier skills. Isandre and he were the only two to really worry about, and Jei was certain he was getting the hang of his swordplay. Isandre hefted a small battle axe at her side as they ran. Everyone was armed for the journey.

   Aurelius was definitely baiting him. He was a disciple of whatever menagerie of force was in Jei’s mind, and the creature was pitting the two against each other, for whatever reason. It scared Jei to know that Aurelius was a few words away from giving away the secret of the dreams to Raj and Glenna. Perhaps he could trust Raj, but would Glenna understand this dark portent? He didn’t know who he could trust with this.

   First things first. Kill Aurelius.

   As they found their way to the cave, they saw a small platform with a table on it, laying just before the opening in the ground. A single guard was there, a weasly man no taller than Jei was, with matted hair and sunken cheeks. He was asleep on the chair before the table, his snores ripping through the silence of the night air. With a few gestures and some quiet conversations, they managed to sneak past him and into the dimly lit cavern. It was silent and eerie, with only some torches to cast their faint light across the walls.

   The air tasted like mildew and dirt, to the point where Jei was reminded of the cellar of Fort Dunstad, where he had been sent several times to shut him up. There was a creeping sense that every corner of the cave was listening to them, but besides the guard outside, the cave seemed empty. After a few minutes of crouching, Isandre stood up, her joints letting out a full drum solo of pops.

   “I was not made for these sneak jobs even in my youth.” She whispered. “How much further?”

   “I haven’t heard anything yet.” Raj said, his head craned around the corner of a strange bend in the cave. “But I can assume we’re running out of cave to go through.”

   “Are we sure they’re here?” Glenna almost said out loud.

   “Shh.” Raj said suddenly. “Listen.”

   Just as he said it, a laugh was tossed into the air softly, and the ever so slight buzz of conversation was noticeable. They were only a few more steps to take, and Jei felt his fingers instinctively close around the hilt of his sword.

   Slowly they crept, with Isandre trailing behind a little obtrusively, standing all the way up. Finally, they reached what looked like an opening in the caverns. Raj went first, peering his head around the corner into whatever was beyond the jagged edges of the passageway.

   He nodded and went in.

   Glenna came next, following fast behind him, which left Jei to deal with sneaking behind the two of them. He looked back up at Isandre, who just shrugged and drew her axe, taking up a position to wait for things to get hairy.

   Jei crawled through into a vast chamber, not made entirely by nature at all, and filled with wooden furnitures, such as bookshelves, tables and chairs, a few dressers and such. There were two wings off to the sides that were unoccupied, as the voices came from the center of the room, a place closed in on all sides by huge stone dividers. Raj was near one of them, peering just through, taking inventory of the situation, when Glenna came up behind him. Jei followed close behind, and with a nod, Raj stood and drew his sword.

   He ran into the scene, the two brothers playing cards on a rather ratty table, taking advantage of their distraction, to take a swing at one of the chairs they sat in. It reduced the wood to splinters, and the man sitting in the chair, Aurelius, launched himself against the wooden table, colliding with his brother and sending cards all over the floor. Glenna strode smoothly to stand beside Raj, her rapier drawn and readied, as Raj spoke first.

   “Give us the necklace and you get to walk away from this.” Was all he said, the finality in his voice punctuated by a deep growl.

   “And tell us how you sent the innkeeper after us.” Glenna added. “Now! Before I get bored.”

   Both the twins were fumbling trying to get in their feet, Marv first and Aurelius second. Marv pulled a rapier from his sheath, but this prompted no real response from Raj and Glenna, who were already well in control of the situation. He looked stunned at the words being said at him. “I’ve got no clue what you’re talking about.” He stammered. “What necklace?”

   As Aurelius stood, Jei felt his face surge with anger, bittering into a fierce scowl. He drew his sword. “My necklace, you ass! The one you stole from my neck!”

   Marv looked all the more bewildered, this time directed at the boy. “Jei, I haven’t stolen a necklace from you, ever. What is this all about?” But a gasp rang from his mouth within seconds of finishing his sentence as the hand of Aurelius shot out, and in it, hanging by its cord, was Jei’s necklace. Aurelius gave a low, cold laugh, that filled the cave and made it drop a few degrees. He had drawn his own weapon, an axe larger than Isande’s, from his own holster at his hip, and with speed Jei didn’t know, he took a swing and batted Raj’s sword away, barreling into Glenna and tossing her off balance, before rushing from the room, a booming, “Catch me if you can!” echoing off the walls as he made his exit.

   Jei felt every muscle of his body surge after the man, this aggressor who stole his necklace and tried to hurt his friends. He chased after him, and in the back of his mind, he felt the eyes of that strange spectral animal bearing into him, beckoning him forward. He would hunt tonight.

 

-Raj

   Instantly, a well controlled situation turned into a disaster as Jei ran from the room, in hot pursuit of Aurelius. Marv made a surge for the exit as well, but Glenna was too swift, and a stab to the ankle threw him off balance, causing him to fall to the ground hard. Raj gathered himself from the mighty swing that threw him off his guard, and Glenna stood up.

   He felt torn, torn on finishing Marv off first, or potentially saving Jei’s life. The decision wasn’t much of a distraction though. Raj instantly saw Glenna hold her rapier over Marv’s body, and she nodded her head at the exit urgently. The hint was clear. Jei needs help.

   Raj followed down the narrow passage that seemed to tie the cave off in a loop, leading right to the exit of the cave again. He was able to just see the flash of Jei’s tail as he left the cave and ran into the night. Raj surged powerfully towards the exit, and the cool night air hit him as he ran to Jei’s side. There, he saw a horrifying vision.

   Aurelius had stopped. Jei was frozen in horror, watching the older man. His axe was plunged into the dirt below, apparently not to be used in this engagement, and Raj instantly saw why. The inky black fog that came from his fingertips was curling in their air, and around the form of the once sleeping, now choking guard. The man was already a little sunken when they had seen him, but now he was almost a skeleton, strange patches of his body pressed tightly against his own bone. The fog curled around his wretched form and left behind blisters and sores, reddened skin that peeled back and gave way to a festering rash. The man’s whole body seemed to be dissolving, but what’s worse was the state of his face. His eyes bugged out in horror as his mouth was swung wide open, inhaling the fog. Raj didn’t want to think about the damage it’s poison was having away at his lungs, but the man shrivelled up before he even had a chance, his skin turning blackish and his eyes filling with blood.

   Aurelius dropped the husk that was once a man to the ground and looked at Raj with the sort of hunger a predator has in his eyes as he looks at his next meal. Raj felt his skin prickle as his feathers stood on end. A rush of adrenaline filled his body from the sheer fear, and another of Aurelius’s inhuman cackled filled the air.

   “Show me what you’ve got.” He said. It was time for a fight.

   Raj cast a silent spell, and the flicker of the pale green passed over his body until he was made of strong steel. The fog would take no effect on his outer skins if they were made of metal, but his only fear was inhaling some of it. Whatever poison in it could definitely hurt the fleshy interior of his body. He resolved to keep his mouth shut, and he charged Aurelius.

   Aurelius had very little time to react as the steel golem came charging after him, only able to create a thicker fog where he stood, ducking back into it to give himself an advantage of concealment. Raj held his breath as he leaned back into the swing of his sword, the fog curling harmlessly around his body, save for an itching sensation that had begun forming wherever the fog touched. Aurelius dodged the blade swiftly, and went for a counterattack, surging his hand forward to send a wave of the poisoned mist at his opponent. Raj was just barely able to throw himself out of the way of it, his lungs protected, but he felt the heavy sensation of a huge bear, slamming its paw against him, and was thrown against the table, sending it into a flurry of splinters.

   A form had taken shape in the fog, a creature taller than Raj, and far broader. It looked like the shape of a bear, seen in fogged glass, but was too imprecise to really take fully into vision. It seemed to in motion to really be something material, but the scratches on Raj’s breastplate said otherwise. Aurelius walked dramatically behind this new opponent, then shot a hand forward, and the bear pounced at Raj.

   He only had a second to dodge away before the beast was upon him, but he managed to roll away from the incoming force, just in time to catch Aurelius off guard, but as he took his swing with his heavy broadsword, it passed clean through where Aurelius seemed to be, traces of fog filling where the blade passed through. It was all Aurelius needed.

   Another blast of the fog came sweeping from his hand, and it landed squarely at Raj’s chest. The force of the hit knocked the air out of him, and he inhaled, with instant consequence. It felt as if a fire had been lit inside of him, and he choked on the foul feeling as his vision blurred. He tried to cough, but all he could manage were a few dry heaves as he fell to the ground, clutching his throat.

   “You specialize in transmutation? Try curing that magic poison in your lungs.” Aurelius laughed as he took a swift kick at Raj’s ribs. The force was more than Raj had ever felt from any mortal, and it sent him against the rock wall, his sword falling with a clang right between Raj and Jei. Jei, who looked in in horror as his friend choked on wretched fog, as Aurelius stomped his way over to him.

   “I’ve wanted to kill you for a long time, Jei.” Aurelius said to the horrified boy. A swift kick brought Aurelius to Jei’s attention as he too was slammed against the rock at the opening of the cave, just opposite of Raj. Raj bit back a cough and a growl, feeling his body surge nauseatingly. He was gonna throw up, and pass out, and die at this rate.

   “You were always so loud and annoying, but Marv was there to teach me patience. I waited for it.” Aurelius continued. “I was going to kill you in your sleep, but then they came for me, and taught me things I’d never known were possible. The dreams!”

   At this point, Raj was having trouble even hearing as the line between his consciousness and his death grew ever thin. He had to fight it, he had to purge this toxin somehow, but he couldn’t think of anything. In desperation, he lifted his head to see Jei, in the hand of Aurelius, mouth forced open, the poisonous fog surrounding him, poised to strike.

   The outrage shot through Raj’s body, outweighing the poison. Raj crawled for his sword while Aurelius was distracted, toying with Jei. He moved as quickly as his body would let him, but it was so clearly not fast enough, all he could do was push harder and harder. He felt his fingers curl around his blade, and he stood up shakily, calling Aurelius’s attention over to him, where he stood, his stance shaking, his sword held up by willpower alone.

   Aurelius laughed. “Guess I didn’t finish your friend off yet. But I wouldn’t be too worried, the gas will take only a few seconds more before he’s dead.” His eyes goaded Raj, and he took a step towards him. “What’s the matter, big guy? Can’t breathe?”

   Raj growled as much as he could manage, but as he looked down at Aurelius’s feet, an idea formed.

   “One last swing.” Raj croaked. “Give me one last swing.”

   Aurelius laughed and turned all the way, holding Jei by the neck and off to his side. “Fine. I’ll let you have your dying struggle. Best make it count.”

   Raj grinned to himself, and reared back his fist. His strength was fading, but he had everything he needed right in front of him to finish the fight. He took his final strength and threw himself at the man… and into the ground. Raj fell flat on his face, and Aurelius let out a cruel laugh.

   “Yeah, take a few more seconds on that air you’re breathing, I’m sure you’ll be over the humiliation in seconds.” He turned back to Jei. “Now, where were we?”

   But as he tried to pivot to face Jei, he found he couldn’t. His shoes seemed cemented to the floor, too heavy to move around in. Aurelius seemed shocked, but when he looked at his feet, he knew everything he needed. His thick leather boots had been turned to dense lead, and Raj smiled up at him from his immovable feet.

   “Now, Jei.” Raj rasped.

   Jei drew his sword and, unfrozen from his fears, stabbed it into Aurelius’s side, deep, deeper, until it was back out the other end. The surprise in Aurelius’s eyes were the best gift one could receive while they were on their deathbed, but as Aurelius gave one last breath, Raj found he could take in air again. It hurt to breathe for a second, but as he took the first sharp inhalation of the cool night winds, he felt the poison inside him purge, leaving behind damage, for sure, but nothing fatal.

   Aurelius’s body tried to fall to the floor, but his shoes kept him in place, the thick knee high lead serving as a hefty anchor to keep him standing in spite of his own weight. Jei fell from his hand and gasped for air too, then rushed to Raj’s side, frantically turning him onto his back and surveying him.  Raj laughed, and it startled the boy, but then set him at ease.

   “Next time you lose a necklace, I’ll just buy you a new one.” He joked.

   Jei chuckled painfully. “You… You really did mean it.”

   “What’s that supposed to mean?” Raj said, a grin splitting his pained face.

   “When you said you wouldn’t leave me alone.” He replied, a tear forming in his eye. “You saved me, and you almost died from it.”

   Raj waved the sentiment away. “One of the greatest tasks a man can do is to help someone in need.” He coughed, and a small measure of blood flew from his throat. “Maybe I shouldn’t lay on my back.” He said, sitting up.

   The night air did good for his wrecked lungs, but he knew it would be a bit of a handicap for about a week. It wasn’t much a big deal, but as he took to stand, he felt a shake in his legs. Combat would be out of the question, or at least difficult in this state.

   “We should go back in and tell the others we’re o-” Raj was cut off by the swift figure of a man, charging from the cave and running down the road at high speeds. Raj heard a shout from Glenna as the man passed them by, and he was able to catch the slightest glimpse of Marv, as he ran into the night.

   “Or maybe not.” He amended as Isandre and Glenna came up behind them, exiting the cave and looking around at where Marv went, but he was long gone at this point.

   “Urrrgh!” Glenna groaned. “Why didn’t you catch him?”

   “We were a little busy.” Raj said with a chuckle, another cough wetting his glove with blood. “It’s a long story.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Kamil and Will for beta reading and showering me with critique and praise  
> Thanks to me for moving on with things and moving forward with otuers  
> Thanks to Todd Howard for selling me Skyrim 10: ES6 is gonna be good and I already have a character for it.  
> and a Special Thanks to Griffin McElroy. I make this joke, but TAZ changed my life.


	8. Songs in the Wind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HI, I'M NOT DEAD, I JUST HAVE BEEN HIT WITH SCHOOL AND STUFF AND honestly, this project has become a lot less fun because I feel like I'm Fuckin Suckin with it, but I've finally been able to sit down and do some restructuring and some mindfulness stuff, and I feel like I'm back on track. Idk if there will be any change between the chapter after this and the chapters before this, but hell, I'll feel more confident.
> 
> oh, also, the dragon contract party beats the shit outta some loser idk

-Jei

The walk back to the inn was uneventful, but more beautiful than anyone would’ve guessed. The night sky was alight as usual, but the stars were to be seen, shimmering past the electrifying auroras in the sky and smiling down on the few who dared travel so late at night. The dark creatures of the shadows recoiled as they all walked together down the road that would lead them to the inn. 

Jei felt… Well, he didn’t know what to feel. Relieved? Angry? Embarrassed?

He heard Raj walking next to him, a rattle in his lungs and a certain loss of stride in his step. It felt like he was weaker than usual, which was definitely the case, but it felt like something more than that. It felt sort of sad to see him like this, sort of withering away. Jei decided to stick close to his friend. Perhaps he could be of some help. 

It would be the only help he had been all night, he thought to himself. Not only did he drag his friends along into this fight for a necklace he only recently received, but he wasn’t able to stop Raj from being put into this state in the first place. He had stood there as the menacing form of a man he once knew crippled and poisoned him. Fear is a terrible thing, but Jei should’ve been better. He knew that. 

They reached the inn before the moon reached the middle of the sky. It seemed that slight twinges of the cold and snowy world beyond the mountains was slipping through, but there wasn’t a flake in the sky, just still clouds and a remorseless moon. Looking at it brought a certain degree of pain to Jei’s heart. He had the feeling it was only a matter of time before it turned blood red again. 

“You’re not welcome here.” A voice growled from the porch of the inn. Raj and Jei both looked up to see the innkeeper sitting there on a rocking chair, a huge battle axe in his hands. He seemed annoyed, but there was a reluctance in the way he stood up and a wary eye laid upon Raj. 

“What is the meaning of this?” Glenna barked from her spot as the leader of the pack. “We need only rest here once more. Surely you aren’t that full.”

“I’d love to let you room here,” the bartender started, a glint in his rich brown eyes, “but I’ve got a sore neck from one of you, and I don’t believe I want you anywhere near my establishment.”

“You attacked me first.” Raj croaked. He was only just able to get the words out before he doubled over coughing. 

“Are we going to have trouble?” The innkeeper growled, picking up the heavy axe. He seemed to struggle with it in his hands. Glenna must’ve taken notice too, because she drew her sword as quick as a breath and held it at the ready.

“That depends, do you want trouble?” She said with a sort of snark Jei didn’t know she possessed. Isandre smacked her arm. 

“We’re done here.” She said. “We needn’t go around killing people for fun.”

“Isandre, he’s-” Glenna started.

“He’s an idiot, I know, but if you kill all the idiots in the world, nothing gets left behind.” She replied, a glare aimed at the innkeeper. “We’ll find somewhere to camp that doesn’t have bedbugs.”

Glenna looked indignant, a touch of red hitting her incredibly high cheekbones, but she sheathed her sword anyway. “I needn’t waste my time spilling such useless blood, as you say. Let us be on our way.”

The innkeeper was glaring at the party throughout all the insults as the two women of the group walked off, leaving Raj and Jei behind. 

“Do you have anything to say?” He grunted. 

Raj shrugged and walked off to follow the rest of the party, leaving only Jei behind to give the last retort. 

He thought long and hard on what to say, before meeting eyes with the man. 

“Fuck you.” Was all he said. And he joined with the rest of the quest. 

 

It was a fair walk before they reached any semblance of a campground, and when they got there, the ground was wet with a sort of dew that hung in the air as if it had rained recently. The air was warmer, and the honey sweet smells of flowers seemed steeped in the winds like tea. The sounds of frogs and crickets chittered into the night like a cacophonous low roar, but everyone went about the chores of setting up tents and clearing areas for cooking. Raj began preparing some dried meats, but he quickly tired of it in his state, and left it all along to Isandre, who told him to sit down and breathe. “The fog in the air will do your damaged lungs well.” She said. 

So, Raj sat on a stone on the brink of the camp and waited, looking into the air and breathing his shallow and rattly breaths. He seemed so feeble now. A dagger of guilt shot into Jei’s heart, as he knew it was all his fault. He sighed, and ever so suddenly, he heard a chuckle from behind him. 

“You really are pathetic.” Glenna said between bites of an apple she had pulled from her bag. 

“Fuck you.” Jei uttered for the second time in the night. “What do you know about me?”

“I know you blame yourself for how he feels right now. I know you think it’s your fault we went into that cave. I know you think you’re some sort of burden to us.”

“And isn’t all of that right?” Jei barked.

“Perhaps.” Glenna nearly breathed. “But that you feel remorse for it is absolutely pathetic. Do you think you could’ve stopped us from entering that cave?”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means, whether or not any of us like it, we are bound by the paper to help one another.” Glenna said, waving a hand in the air. “This annoying contract we all entered is proof that we help one another.”

“Do you like it?” Jei spat.

“I don’t. Not at all. It is insulting to me to enter an agreement with the likes of you and your master, especially one that considers us equals in any way possible.” She paused, taking another bite of her apple thoughtfully. “So don’t make it worse by regretting the parameters of the contract. We all regret that cursed paper, and will continue to, but none of us lack the amount of constitution that you do, to assume that we have anything to make up for in fulfilling it.”

Jei pondered the words.  _ Don’t assume any of us would regret hurting you in fulfilling the contract. Instead be grateful that the contract and the people subject to it have your back.  _ It wasn’t a nice assumption of the responsibility, but a thought flashed in Jei’s head, one he hadn’t realized at all. They were going to fight a dragon because of Raj, and that would be more dangerous than some mad poison mage in the woods. They all had his back, and they had all rushed to Jei’s aid in the same way. 

They could’ve just left. Gone far away from the thrall of the person in the mask, but they didn’t. 

Glenna stood up and threw her apple core into the woods, then walked away briskly. “Don’t spend too much time moping, lizard. We need you well rested for tomorrow.”

“Go trip on a bees nest.” He muttered as she walked into the brush, seemingly for no reason. With Isandre preparing small bits of food and Raj sitting at the far end of the site, Jei had been left alone with that last sentiment.

Something about the idea clung to his mind in an awful way. Perhaps he wasn’t doing his work to pull the team. He had written in the journal Raj gave him, every bit of detail from the days before. It wasn’t as good as Raj’s more collected method of writing, but it was sufficient. Other than that, what had Jei done? Cause them trouble? Been scared? Raj had fought to protest him, had paid for an inn, had paid all of them handsomely. What had he done?

Jei stood up and began gathering sticks, no matter how wet. In minutes, he fashioned a makeshift pile of firewood out of a few stray rocks and some sticks he had found. He remembered something Brunner showed him ages ago, how to section off the small starter sticks from the bigger sticks that would catch and burn for longer. He couldn’t find any big logs or anything that would take a while to burn, but he figured he would be able to start with this. 

Next was a more personal trick. Jei had been reading that fire magic book since the day he got it, studying the spells and practising them in the dead of night, just before he drifted into dreams. Now would be the proving ground. The sticks would be too wet to start a fire without some pitch, but Jei had a better idea. 

He placed a hand on the sticks and closed his eyes tight. The first thing he would have to do is concentrate. He emptied his mind of any of the fluff, of the events of the day, of the goals for tomorrow. All that was in his head was the here, and the now. His beating heart. The brush of the wind. The soft sighs he made as he breathed in and out. 

He sharpened his breath a bit, allowing the inhales to fill up more, and the exhales to release it all at once. Breath was the second most important part. Fire must have oxygen, and the speed with which it is exposed to the oxygen determines the amount of force it may have. Jei didn’t know a lot about how it used the oxygen, or what would happen if he sed too much, but he knew that he had to feed the fire inside of him. He had to coax some strength from his body for this. 

He felt a wave of warmth wash over him, and that’s how he knew it had worked. The warmth flowed down his hands, like the running of hot water, and seemed to pool around his finger tips. Jei smiled, a little faltering in his concentration, but that was fine at this stage. All he would need to do is keep breathing and eventually he’d have-

A burst of flames popped to live between his fingers, and Jei instinctively pulled his hand back, but the spell had worked. In those cozy kindled sticks, a small flame rose up, catching on the sticks around it and quickly growing from them. It was draining in a way that Jei couldn’t even understand, as if a second body beneath his own body was being depleted of energy, while the outer body felt the same. The amber light the fire let off was enough to send flickering shadows across the trees and the rest of the campsite, alerting Isandre to the new addition to the campsite. 

“How did you do THAT?” Isandre said, her eyes just as lit up as the fire itself. “I thought there had been a storm here, the wood is so wet.”

At this time, Raj had begun to take notice as well. He stood up, however shakily, and walked over, changing his sitting spot over to sit across from Jei.

“Impressive.” He croaked. “That must’ve been hard to make.”

Jei nodded. “With enough time and some determination, anyone can make a fire, no matter how wet the materials are.”

“You may be a true outdoorsman yet.” Isandre said with a laugh. She brought her work over to the fire as well, letting the bread warm with the dried meat and a small slice of cheese. She procured an apple from her bag and tossed it to Jei, then hesitated with Raj. He nodded, so she continued with the gesture. 

The three ate in silence, unjoined by Glenna in all of this. Perhaps she was off practising her swordplay. She seemed more smug on the battlefield than Jei had ever seen her, but perhaps the loss against Marv was weighing on her pride. Not that Jei cared. She could return whenever she felt like being nice. 

“So what’s the plan now, Raj. If you can speak of it.” Isandre said. 

Raj swallowed, a little painfully at first, but as he spoke, his voice sounded a little better. “There’s another burial mound behind Riften, but it’s more than that. There is said to be a dagger of Dragon bone somewhere in the area. Any bones we find from the mound will be useless, but if we can find the dagger, we can use that.”

“I’m assuming that’s why we left behind the first mound.”

“I mean, the attempted assault wasn’t exactly helpful there.” Raj said with a wheezy chuckle. He coughed out a bit more blood. “Fuck, I can’t wait to find a healing potion.”

“What’s the plan on finding the dagger, then?” Jei said.

“I can help with that, I’m personal friends with the current Jarl in Riften.” Isandre said with a wry grin. “She’ll be more than happy to help us find everything, but I’m not so sure she’ll want to see anyone but me, she’s become a little paranoid in her old age.”

“You check with the Jarl, we’ll search the streets. There must be some one who has heard of it before. That sort of artifact doesn’t go unnoticed.” Raj surmised. “It’s as good a plan as any.”

Jei looked off to the side a bit from the blaze he had created. The warmth was fine, and made him realize that he was cold to the bone despite the warm, damp air. Something about the events of the night had chilled him deeper than he cared to admit. 

Isandre stood up suddenly, a litany of pops and creaks sounding with the bend of her knees. “I think I’ll go on to bed, honestly. You kids have far more energy than me.”

“Sleep well.” Raj said politely as she hobbled off, leaving Jei and Raj alone with the warm campfire. 

When she finally disappeared into the leathery tent flap, Jei sighed. “Thanks again for helping me tonight.”

“For saving your life, you mean?” Raj said with the usual half grin he always donned in this smug tone.

“Yes, for that.” Jei said a little sheepishly.

“You don’t have to worry about it, honestly. You’d do the same for me, had you been in the right position.” Raj chuckled, stretching his arms a bit. “You did freeze up a bit. We need to work on that.”

Jei nodded. “How do you feel?”

Raj grimaced. “Not much better, honestly. I’ve been trying to magically repair the damage, but I’m no Restoration mage. This is way over my head.”

“Wish we had Delia with us right now.” Jei said. “She would be so helpful on this mission.”

“You’re telling me. That woman would’ve straight up tore Aurelius to shreds.” Raj said with another restrained chuckle. “Hey, Jei.”

Jei looked up and met eyes with Raj. “What is it?”

“I’ve got something I need to trust you with here. I’ve been thinking about this since the cave, and it’s only gotten more and more plausible, but I need you to promise me you won’t tell anyone else.”

“What’s up?” Jei asked, a bit shocked by the sudden change of subject. 

Raj stood up and moved closer to Jei. He sat down next to him and beckoned him to come closer. Jei leaned in, close enough to hear his friend and have the conversation pass as nothing but whispers in the fog.

“I’ve been thinking about how strange it was that the masked person seems to be following us. I couldn’t sense any presences in my mind since the first day, but they seemed to follow us all the way to the inn and beyond. It isn’t right.”

The realization dawned on Jei of what Raj was saying before he even said it. The group had thus far neglected to realize that this masked person was only one person. The Cult of Alduin in whole wasn’t tailing Raj and the party, but instead one person was. One person who could easily infiltrate them to gather intelligence.

“I think someone is giving them information on our plans. Whether that’s intentional or not is beyond me, you know how they can force people to do their bidding, but I’ve also noticed something else.” Raj whispered grimly. “I can’t sense them at all.”

“What do you mean?” Jei asked silently. 

“Usually with magic that strong, there is some sort of trace of magicka, some sort of beacon that can be singled in on. Something a mage can feel to pinpoint an approximate location of anyone nearby who would be casting the magic.” Raj explained. “I can’t seem to find that trace.”

Jei chewed on this bit of information for a second. “What does that mean?”

“I don’t know.” Raj said. “But what I do know is that I might be missing it.” He grabbed Jei’s hand in a way that made Jei jolt as if he’d been electrocuted. “I want to show you how to sense that sort of thing.”

“U-uhmmm… Okay.” Jei stuttered, a little bit of warmth spreading from his cheeks. “What do I do first?”

“Simple.” Raj closed his eyes, and exhaled. “Follow my lead.”

There was a moment’s hesitation, but Jei closed his eyes too, and allowed his breathing to slow to the same pace Raj was setting for himself. He felt a tingle in the hand Raj was holding, and suddenly, that second body lying beneath his skin seemed to be replenished. 

“You won’t always have to close your eyes, but it’s best to at first. Concentrate on the place you are sitting on, any sort of features you might remember. The fire in front of you, the tents to your left, the road stretching on in front of you. They’re different from you and I. You breathe and generate your own energy.” Raj started, nothing more than a voice Jei could hear in his head. “Now, use that energy. Let your breath, the oxygen you pull in, let it create a sort of friction in you. Let the energy wash out of you in all directions.”

Just like the fire magic, Jei thought. He obeyed, but instead of focusing the heat into his fingers and creating a flame, he pictured himself sending off a wave, like a ripple from a drop of water. Sure enough, the heat and energy he created flowed off from him in all directions. And then, clear as day, he could see where Raj was holding his hand. He could feel the presences of some deer beyond their eyesight, past that into the smallest squirrels and the bears that slumbered far away. It was faint, but Jei could pick up all the wildlife, as well as the magical activity going on around them. Curious it was that he couldn’t sense Isandre, or even Glenna far off in the woods. 

“Amazing.” Raj said with a chuckle, breaking Jei’s fixation with the nature around him. “You’ve picked it up faster than I’ve seen anyone else pick it up.”

Jei felt the warmth on his cheeks again. “Is it normal for me to sense the animals, but not Glenna and Isandre?” He asked with a small quiver in his voice.

“W… Wait wha-” Raj started, but was interrupted by a sensation that Jei had never felt before. 

It was like someone had reached into his skull, grabbed his brain, and given it a rough massage. It was in no way painful, but it was too much, a tidal wave of sensation that fired in every nerve ending and sense center. It all screamed out so loud that Jei felt his body begin to shiver, then to shake, then to spasm. All of the sudden, he couldn’t control his muscles anymore as a grim and powerful presence filled the woods, so potent it overrided any sensation Jei could feel, to the point of Jei feeling his entire body shut down. 

 

-Raj

He knew something wasn’t right before Jei fell over on the ground, spasming for a second, then laying perfectly still. Whatever wash of magic that was, it had overstimulated him and caused him to pass out. He would be fine, but there was more pressing matters to attend to. 

Like why there was suddenly a huge tidal wave of magic washing over the woods in slow motion. 

The air got colder as the winds picked up. Whatever it was was stronger than anything Raj had ever sensed in his entire life, well beyond any of the Synod mages’ studies or anything that was being done at the College. He couldn’t even pinpoint a general area to start looking for the source, it was almost as if it wasn’t a physical thing, but an entity. Something that was everywhere, and nowhere all at the same time. 

Raj stood up, trying to call out to Isandre that something was wrong, but he couldn’t seem to find his vocal chords. The idle chatter of the night had been silenced by whatever it was, the crickets and toads. It was so deafeningly silent, every movement of Raj’s foot sounded like the crash of cymbals. 

Something dashed away to his left. Without hesitation, his lungs still burning dully, he launched himself in that direction, his sword drawn suddenly. He got past some trees, cleaving into the brush, before the rustling came again, deeper into the green and black. He followed with determination and an air of caution. All at once, a song came into the air. 

It wasn’t the newly familiar song of some sort of mind control. It was a more stark and recognizable song, as if it was being sung at a bar. It was sung by some deep and jovial voice, a jumpy and lilting song, probably to be danced to by a line of men doing the same jig. It wasn’t at all creepy, but no other sounds sang from it, and with the hanging fog, the imminent danger, the situation at hand, it sounded more and more like a devil’s song. But Raj had no other ideas than to follow it, so he grit his teeth and ran into the mists, trying to find the source of the music. 

The deeper he ran, the thicker the fogs around him got, until it seemed that the world around him was lit up far more than it had been before. Every sound was gone but his own movements and the singing, but Raj knew better than that. He broadened his senses, and the vast ocean of a presence was still there, but he could feel a concentration now. He could also feel some sort of off point, as if there was an absence of any magical energy.

Those two things were rushing towards each other. 

Raj bolted towards them too, and wild possibilities filled his head. It could be an elemental, an atronach of some sort, compelling him closer and closer to its inescapable grip, or a wily mage casting out a potent, earth-wide spell of vitalization. Perhaps at any moment the very ground around him would stand up and move. The singing sped up and got louder as he got closer. The concentration was only a few yards away, but something was off. In all of this magical presence, Raj found he couldn’t charge his own spell. He would have no protection save his armor. He prayed it would be enough. 

Raj burst through the brush, sword in hand, and a small yelp registered in the back of his head as he came upon none other than Marv, the second brother. He was scrappier than Raj remembered, his clothing torn and his well kept golden hair awry. Small cuts riddled his skin and a wild look was seared into the pupils of his eyes, as if he was a wild animal on the run from its natural and unstoppable predator. Without a word or a second to be shared between by the two, Marv bounded away with speed like Raj had never see in a human before. 

Raj was stunned for a second, before a bout of rage filled his body. “Get back here you asshole!” He shouted before bounding after him. He couldn’t see where he went in the mist, but he could hear the man’s singing grow louder still. It was almost cacophonous now, as if the song was being screamed into his face, but Raj kept chasing the last of the twins, in hot pursuit of the one that got away. 

Even as he ran, though, Raj began to feel like something was very very wrong. He could sense the concentration that was Marv, and the presence around him, but the black hole of nothingness was rushing at the two of them as well, just a little ways away from Marv. There was another dodge, and in the seconds it took for Raj to recalibrate his heading on Marv, he was way behind. He turned to run, but something had caught his ankle, a vine of some sort that hadn’t been there before. It was as if the very earth was working to hold Raj down, as more vines whipped around him, pulling him to the ground. He suddenly felt panicked regret at having left the campsite so undefended, at having left Glenna out in these foggy and unnavigable woods.

Every regret or worry sprung forth from another vine that wrapped Raj up more and more, and he felt their grip tighten, as if they were attempting to pull him straight into the earth below him. He fought, but his lungs caught fire and his legs failed him, so captivated they were that he couldn’t even move them. The singing was so loud now he was afraid he’d go deaf, and suddenly he recognized the words as a sort of biting insult to him, some laughing and joyful narration of his death. He felt the vines get tighter and tighter, straining his bones and slicing his scales ever so slightly. He strained more to be free, but for every bit he struggled, he was only more trapped. 

As soon as he felt he might pass out, everything stopped. The world stopped, and the singing stopped, and the vines stopped. His pain stopped too, but the restraint wasn’t letting up. Raj struggled in that place, trying desperately to be free as he looked upward into the foggy, godless sky. 

And then that fog left. The vines slackened, and the world around him became clearer. The noises of the night returned to him, and the weight of that awful presence left itself from the place, leaving only the silvery moon, the evergreen trees, and the vast auroras of Skyrim. 

Raj stood up as quickly as he could and ran towards the last spot he felt that concentration that was Marv. Whatever he had done to bring this sort of magic into the world had to be ended as soon as possible. Whatever horrors he had unleashed had to be stopped. Raj ran so fast he felt his feet might bleed. He had to make it before Marv slipped away once again. 

Then the night was set ablaze with a horrified and final scream. 

Raj ran into a clearing just in time to see Marv, lifelessly clinging to the blade of Glenna’s rapier as the tall and powerful Elf stood over him. She pulled the blade from his body and his blood painted the grass around them. For a second, silence clung to the air, before Glenna noticed Raj was there. She smirked a bit, bringing her blade to a rag in her hand and shrugging. 

“I hated that song.”

 

Walking back to camp was easy, the fire was still a well lit beacon to lead the two of them home. Jei was just coming too as they arrived, and Raj felt a pang of guilt. He ran to the boy and helped him sit up, a groggy look setting in his eyes. 

“Wuh happened?” He barely blurted out.

“I…” Raj turned to look at Glenna. “Have no idea. But it’s over now. Marv is gone, and he seemed to be what was causing it.”

“Marv?” Jei said, a sudden focus in his voice. “What happened to Marv?”

“I showed him some swordplay tricks.” Glenna said simply. “He didn’t take to them, lowly fool that he was.”

“So he’s…” Jei started. 

“Dead.” Raj finished. 

“Very.”Glenna said with a satisfied smile. 

There was a collective sigh of relief. “I thought he was going to be more of a problem, if I’m being honest.” Jei said groggily. “Marv was always the craftier of the two.”

“I’m not surprised by this development in the slightest.” Glenna said

“You did make short work of him.” Raj said with an air of gratitude. However, he felt his body giving way slowly. It was late, they had been doing a lot, and Raj hadn’t realized how fast he had been running that last part. 

It all happened so fast. Too fast. This wasn’t something Marv could’ve done all by himself, and it definitely didn’t seem to be intentional for him. Something wasn’t right at all. 

“We should head to bed.” Raj said slowly. “I think it’s best we have someone keep watch.”

“I’ll do it.” Glenna said. “I seem to be the only one fit for it.”

“Thank you.” Raj said. “Jei, lets hit the tent.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Jei replied, his eyelids already drooping. 

 

Glenna took to patrolling the campsite in a large circle. She didn’t seem in the slightest tired, as a matter of fact, she seemed more lively than Raj could remember. Maybe she wasn’t regretting this whole quest thing as much as she figured she would.

Raj had to admit, despite the horrid parts of this day in specific, he was in the quest mood too. He felt rejuvenated in his soul now that he was on the hunt. It was just like any other quest: a full day of twists and turns, some runs and terrors to get the blood flowing, and some bonding with new friends. He didn’t even care about his deadline, his charred lungs, the terrifying and omnipotent bomb that was somehow dropped in the middle of the woods just moments ago. He was happy to be here, participating in all of this. 

He laid his head back. Perhaps he shouldn’t be enjoying himself this much. He had a duty to fulfill, not th the Synod, but to… Something else. It wasn’t Madena, or Jarl Skald. There were so many unknowns here. 

And all it did was excite Raj more. 

“Raj?” Jei said in his meek little sleep pile next to Raj. “How many days is this?”

Raj hesitated. “Four, I think.”

“This is going faster than I thought.” Jei whispered worriedly. 

“It’s gonna be fine, kid.” Raj said. “Oh, uh, Jei.” He corrected quickly.

“You know I hate being called a kid.” Jei growled. 

“I know.” Raj intoned. “I’m sorry.”

“S’okay.”

“Let’s get some sleep. We’ve got another big day ahead.”

“If it’s as big as today, I’d rather it wait up a little longer.”

Raj laughed. “You’ll get a feel of it. I promise.” He closed his eyes, the grasp of sleep settling into his brain. “There’s nothing better.”


	9. Arrest and Respite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The DC Cru makes their way to Riften. Raj enjoys the flowers. Jei eats Crepes. Glenna shouts some orders. Isandre remembers.

-Jei

**_You did not participate in the hunt._ **

_ The booming voice hit Jei’s ears in his sluggish dream. It felt much more real now to be where he was and to see what he saw. He could almost smell the fresh air of the lovely little wooded area he was in.  _

_ The avatar of the menagerie spoke again.  _ **_You couldn’t, could you? Not yet._ **

_ I don’t understand. Jei replied. It seemed enough to the spirit. It took a stride, and as if it was liquid, seemed to lose lucidity. They couldn’t seem to keep a consistent shape. It sent a crawl up Jei’s spine to see any creature convulse like this. _

**_You are but a weak child at the moment, I guess it was to be expected._ ** _ The spirit said in a lazy brogue.  _ **_But do try to keep up, will you? You wouldn’t want to end up like your old friends, would you?_ **

_ At the mere mention of the two, Jei caught the slightest scent of blood in his nostrils. There was a crooked smile that flashed on the spirits lips, in all of its forms. The sickly smell grew to be stronger and stronger, until Jei couldn’t help but look around to see it’s source. He didn’t know what he expected, but a sinking feeling of dread told him nothing good.  _

_ And there was the source, hung up in the trees. It was Aurelius and Marv, their bodies torn in the ways they had died, Marv with a few slashes and a deft stab to the heart and Aurelius with broken ankles and a horrid gash at his side, spilled with blood.  _

_ A wicked cackle rung from the spirits ever changing visage as they reeled their head back in sick joy.  _ **_The first of your trophies. There will be many more, too. Now get ready for your training. And remember what happens to the people that disappoint me._ **

-Raj

Every breath was burning hell. Whatever foul poison had ravaged his lungs the night before proved only to get worse instead of better, so the walk to Riften from their camping spot in the woods was silent for him. He tried to slow his breathing, and even tried to drink some cool water for it, but all that came was a stinging sensation as if someone had driven a knife against his throat. He felt tired from a lack of sleep, and he felt hungry. Breakfast hadn’t been able to pass his lips without worsening the pain further. 

He was very much enjoying himself. 

The walk through the nature spanning before their lazy destination was some measure of magical, and more than enough measures of peaceful. The roads seemed like they had just been placed, and these roads were at least frequented as well; merchants on their horses and a group of mercenaries, a rugged man, a beautiful elf with an umbrella, and a smaller, dark skinned man with an eye-patch who seemed to be in high spirits. There was even a group of bards walking down the street, playing tunes idly on their instruments. 

They walked up the mountains on switchbacks while the sun began its dance in the sky. As the dusty grey of the clouds was lit with warm pink, everyone seemed livelier, ruined lungs are not. Even Glenna started whistling a chipper tune. It was this that fed Raj’s soul, he thought. He was in a strange, new place with strange new friends on a quest. He was certainly feeling the blade of danger in his breathing, but his smile was cheerful nonetheless. 

You still have a quest to get to, the nagging voice in his mind said. He shoved it aside; maybe there was a time limit, but there was no need to shove away enjoyment. Being miserable wouldn’t solve the quest, after all. 

They walked until they came to a small village, just up a large hill. Raj tasted blood, so they decided to have a lunch there, and see if they couldn’t find an apothecary. Shor’s Stone was what it was called, a small mining town. The usual Nord construction was set up, there didn’t seem to be a lot of variance, but this place had wooden floors and roofs of dirt and grass. Sweet smelling flowers followed the path as they made pilgrimage to Riften, where the party was soon to go. 

Glenna and Isandre did most of the talking. They pointed Raj to a small building, just on the edge of the village, with a fountain in front of it. 

“You’ll find potions there. Take the boy, he’s annoying me.” Glenna blankly spouted before walking off with Isandre to the smell of baking bread and melting cheese. Raj and Jei locked eyes, then shrugged, and made their stroll merry towards the potion shop. 

Opening up the door smelled like lavender, snowberry, and burning fat the second they opened the door. Jei almost gagged at the sudden rush of smells that filled his nostrils, and Raj felt himself get quite queasy. Though, that was the only pungent thing about the house; it was full of stocks of flowers and potion ingredients in jars. Various scrolls hung from the wall, and Raj could only read some of them. They all seemed to have motivational phrases written on them in an assortment of languages, ranging from the Sahxeel Jel to the Khajiit Ta’agra. A few of them depicted adorable cats hanging from trees, but all of them seemed to be smiling. In the corner, there was an older, larger Redguard woman, her hair braided gorgeously over one shoulder in several tight locks. There were lines of age on her face that shifted with her glorious smile as she saw her new customers. 

“Dua tenga esen?” She asked softly. 

“I beg your pardon?” Jei said quickly. She repeated the phrase quickly. Jei turned to Raj with a certain amount of puzzle on his face. 

Raj just looked perplexed at the woman. She didn’t remove her jovial smile as she stared right back at him. There was no awkward tension. Raj was trying to create understanding. 

“Tangua, beeko.” He finally said, and the old woman laughed. 

“Te hej feki? Ulu Sahxeeli?”

“What is she asking?” Jei said with a slight impatience. 

“She wanted to know if she could help us, and now she’s asking if we’re Argonian.”

“Is she blind?”

Raj shrugged. “It’s possible. Potion making is one of the skills you can do using texture and smell instead of eyesight if you’ve got the memory for it. And considering she speaks both Yoku and Jel, I’m thinking she’s pretty good at memory.”

“You speak those languages?”

“Jel, fluently. Yoku, like an infant.”

Jei rolled his eyes. “This is gonna be hell.” He mumbled. 

Raj turned back up to the woman, who had stood shakily and was now feeling the faces of her bottles passively. It hurt to talk, and Raj didn’t know the words, but he knew he could try. 

“Ulu Jel?” He asked.

“Nehc.” She replied.

“Translate for me.” Jei said.

“I asked her if she spoke Jel, and she said she didn’t.”

“Riveting.”

“Shut up.” Raj said. “Toktras nogro tango.”

“Ahh.” The woman said. “M’au chi elt?”

“What is she saying now?”

Raj shrugged. “Sounds like Elf language, but I don’t speak that specific dialect.”

“Hmm?” The lady hummed. 

“What languages do you know?” Raj said turning to Jei. “My throat is killing me.”

“I know Imperial common?” He said. “Why do you know so many languages?”

“I have to read books all the time.” Raj replied. He felt his throat close up, and doubled over coughing for a second. By the Eight, it all hurt. When he stood up to look back at the old woman, she was smiling. A clear bottle with a bright pink liquid was held out towards Raj. 

“Dan.” She said. Have. 

Raj took the bottle and gave a short bow. “Vahat.” He said politely before popping the cork and downing that bad boy. 

The relief was nearly instant. It was like he’d just drank a new throat and lungs, and they had unraveled right over the old, broken ones. By the time there wasn’t a drop left in the bottle, he even felt like he’d eaten a solid meal and done a million pushups. Raj had to suppress jumping for the ceiling. He had an odd feeling he’d go above and beyond it. 

“Did it work?” Jei asked. 

“I’ll say it did.” Raj said happily. “Thank you so much, beeko.”

The old woman smiled and nodded, and she began to slowly make her way back to her counter. Raj pulled out his coin purse and pulled out 15 gold septims, but the woman held up her hand and shook her head. 

“Dan.” She repeated. 

“Does she want more?” Jei asked.

“She says she let me have it for free.” Raj said. He bowed again, the same giddy healed feeling rising into his body once again. 

“Oh.” Jei bowed as well. “We might want to go find Glenna and Isandre. Before she changes her mind?”

“I doubt that will be an issue, but we do need to make Riften before sundown.” Raj turned one last time to the old woman. “Thank you.” He said, and the two began moving towards the door.

“Don’t mention it, boys.” The old woman replied, just as the door closed. 

 

The patio of the restaurant was covered only by old boards and some thatch, but the innocent and bright atmosphere and the good food made it seem more homely than irresponsible. It was a themed restaurant, where thin cakes of wheat were filled with fruits and cremes to make sweet treats, while other thin wraps held meats and sauces. The owner had called them, “Krapes,” but most of the people at the table called them delicious. The only person who was not paying as much attention to the food was Isandre. 

She had a glazed look in her eye. Raj had seen her hand a letter to a courier before they had all settled down to eat. Perhaps she was thinking of a long distance friend? Or was she worrying about unattended business? She certainly had a job to do back at College. Raj’s deep blue eyes probed her for any sign of emotion, but she seemed transfixed by nothingness. 

“I was born in this city, you know.” She finally said, when plates were empty and bellies were full. “Seventy years ago, this place was much different.”

“What about it?” Jei said, stretching as he stood from his table.

“This building used to be a blacksmith shop. There were only three buildings, and the harsh winters drove bears to a cave nearby. There used to be a small grove of trees over there that the children used to play in. The mining was more of an operation, and now it’s a full time job. It feels like this place grew big only with the end of the rebellion, but it seems to have stopped growing.”

Glenna rolled her eyes. “If I’ve learned anything living here, it’s that nothing is done growing.”

Isandre chuckled. “Iverstead is dead now. Rorikstead was burned down by vampires back with that crisis.” Isandre stood too, slowly. She brushed crumbs off her lap, then lifted her arms high. Raj saw a tattoo, some sort of scratchy language, written on her arm. Her scars, the ones on her face, seemed to be more prominent. An unbidden tale that only she knew was laid out before her. But it seemed that she would never tell.

She opened her mouth, ostensibly to speak, but instead, she rolled words around in her head. How else could someone react to the growth of their childhood home? Raj felt a twinge of homesickness in the pit of his gut as he looked over this place, likening certain aspects of it to his home in the Marsh. 

“It’s funny how things you’d never expect can stay alive. Through anything.” Glenna finally said, just quiet enough for it to mean something. 

Raj stood, dropping a small payment on the table. “Is it good?”

She grimaced softly. “No.” No explanation was given as she walked off, leaving the rest of the party behind, to survey this happy little town, this home, that suddenly got a little bit emptier.

 

The remaining trudge to Riften was eventless and very short. They walked past a large fort, not far from Shor’s Stone, that was completely abandoned. Raj reached out magically, both to feel if there was anyone in there, or if there was anyone following. All he could sense was himself, and the boy next to him. And it perplexed him. 

He tested a little by reaching out directly at Glenna. Little less than an absence, there was almost a hole there where she was, as if magika couldn’t be around her before it was promptly carted off into nothingness. The scientist inside of him wanted to study deeper into this, but every time he tried to cast a spell at her, he wasn’t able to go through with it. Perhaps it was his own reservations about using his magic on another person again, perhaps it was the roast beef on those crepes. 

He reached out for Glenna, too, and at first, he didn’t feel anything. Slowly, though, like the boiling of water, he felt her vitality rolling off her form, until he was satisfied. It was still strange, to be so masked and then so present, but it probably meant nothing. At least, nothing testable, in these conditions. 

And he reached out to Jei again. Something about this kid, er, fellow, was so captivating to him. Every time he felt his magical presence, it seemed stronger. Perhaps he should entrust him with more spells, when the time comes. 

As the dismal walls of Riften slowly came into view, Raj became instantly aware that something was very, very wrong. The guards of the city steadied their posture as they approached, so commandingly so that they seemed like robots, snapped into shape with the push of a button. The hollow sockets of their helmets followed the group, Raj in particular, as they walked past the dusty stables and to the front gate. The guards flanking the gate drew their swords.

“Halt. State your name, outsider.”

Raj cleared his throat and gave a small bow. Perhaps he could charm his way out of whatever bad thing he felt coming.

“My name is Raj-Ei, and I’m in the company of Jei, Glenna, and Isandre.”

The guards reacted quite unfavourably. One of them nodded their head, and Raj felt a spear level at his back. Two more swords were drawn, and without warning, the gates opened to three more guards. Their conical helmets were tilted forward just the tiniest bit, and Raj could see a slight grin behind their facemasks. They look like they had just caught a master thief. Raj instantly felt slightly more claustrophobic. 

“You’ll be coming with us to see the Jarl. Raj-Ei, you’re wanted for murder, and your company as your accomplices. Come along.”

“What is the meaning of this?” Glenna instantly interjected. She yelped, and Raj turned to see a spear at her back. The guards looked dead serious. Had they been told? Had they as well been warned about the reason he was here?

“You’re all to come. No exceptions for abetting a criminal.” The guard said. “Now, come along, or we’ll drag you along.”

“I’ve got this.” Raj said. Glenna looked him in the eye with disbelief. He tried to confer as much as he could without words that he meant to settle this peacefully. He wasn’t sure if she got the message.

“Everything is going to be okay.” He said. They entered the gates of the city, one by one. 

 

Riften looked better than Raj would’ve expected. There were a few places under construction, wooden ramps being mended or replaced as they traversed the levels of the city high and low. The smell of fish hung almost rancid in the air, but the sells of sweet mead and the flowers on either side of a organized cobblestone street drowned out the stench. People moved in masses through the streets, past heavy looking people eyeing them closely or small boys selling papers, essays and pamphlets. The buzzing of commerce filled Raj’s ears with a constant source of white noise. A part of it all reminded him of the Imperial City. 

The city was built on three levels, but only two could be seen. To the left of the gate were rows and rows of houses, manors and dwellings all sorted into neat lines. Raj could only assume that there were more behind them, as people kept walking in and out of the alleys and betweens. Not five houses over in front of them, there stood a large temple, just barely visible over the two story roofs. Large birch trees stood in a courtyard before it, and the sickeningly sweet smell of honeysuckle clothed the walkway as they passed a nearly blanketed wall of the rich flower. 

To the right seemed to be the commerce district, and it was flooded. Callers for tall wooden stands with shingled roofs promised fine jewelry, lithe armor, fresh food and produce, and fool-proof wellness elixirs. People moved in heavy packs, and the poor guards assigned to watching over the sea of buying and selling looked as if they were shaking. 

Just below was a level of wooden planks. Mangier folk hung out around barrels taken from the ships that swam up and down the canals, loading and unloading them. There was a prominent demographic of Argonians, laughing and whistling as the worked hard to move product from point a to point b. However, some shadier folk eyed these barrels from obscured positions across the deck. A few of them took solid notes, perhaps for the benefit of the shipment, perhaps not. 

Just behind all of this commotion was a high and lofty palace. It looked so different from what Raj had seen in the other palaces of the Jarls. It must’ve been three stories high, with wings on either side and vines hanging loftily from the highest parts. As the group walked up the stairs leading to it, there seemed to be a whole new troop of guards, training in the wing to the left. The guards led them towards the wing to the right. To the Riften Jails. 

 

“I’m not picking the lock.” Raj said to a frustrated Jei, who threw his arms in frustration and slammed into the cot in his cell. The party had been sectioned off into individual cells and told to wait there for a presence with the Jarl, who would name their crime and decide their fate. 

“He can turn the bars into wood.” Glenna pointed out, just to Raj’s left, possibly leaning against her cell wall. “But no, the big man would much rather have a relaxing spot in a jail.”

“The door out of here leaves us with a fair amount of Riften to traverse before we can fight our way through the guard outside even the walls.” Raj said plainly. “Our best bet is to try to end this as peacefully as possible. I can’t protect you all.”

Jei groaned into the furs on his cot, in the cell just in front of Raj. He turned over and slumped against the side wall, arms crossed in a small pout. 

Something about him had changed from just the very night before. He seemed more excitable, more frustrated. It was as if something was scaring him. 

Well, might as well use the time appropriately. Raj stripped off the chestplate of his armour and slid back his hood, laying both in the chair to the corner of his cell. He stretched his arms, feeling the muscles flatten and smooth out, hoping to make his mind follow suit. He fell into a routine so calm for him, that he couldn’t think about his situation. 

And suddenly, he weighed 100 extra pounds. He had turned his body to heavy iron, and quickly fell to his front, catching himself on his arms and beginning a long set of pushups. 

“And now he’s doing pushups.” Jei said exasperatedly.

“You could stand to learn a thing or two from him.” Glenna growled from her cell.

“Like what, huh? What exactly could I learn?”

“How to train your body to peak fitness. The multitude of spells he knows. What it means to shut your mouth. How to be an honorable man.”

“Oh, so he’s honorable, now?”

“Yes, for lesser beings, it’s very honorable to accept defeat and aim to negotiate standards that fit your expectations.”

Jei became enraged. “That lesser being could smear your ass on the street, hag!”

“He should be so lucky to even get off a shot. He might be up to your standards of combat, but surely not my own.”

“What does that even mean!?” 

“It means, I’m better than you! Lizard!”

A voice from the cell just below Raj spoke up into the fray. “Hey, could both of you shut up? People are trying to serve in peace.”

“NO!” The two shouted in unison, and they continued to bicker in a more spirited manner. 

Raj continued his pushup set with the increasing noise in the background. So focused he was on his physical activity, he almost didn’t notice when his cell door was opened up, and he was asked to stand at attention. 

“Your presence has been requested now by the Jarl. You two! Keep it down. You are to address Jarl Laila with the utmost respect, or you will pay the price!”

 

It seemed that the day was flying by in short bits. Raj had reclothed himself and been walked just to the next building, a longhouse made of brick and stone. Inside was a long table, surrounding a huge firepit that held flames, dancing like they were in a play. The atmosphere was jovial before they even walked in and waded through the long extent of pudding and pork. It seemed a party was being hosted, and several people were celebrating loudly their shared company. 

The walls were lined with tapestries of green and gold, and the air was filled with what Raj knew well to be magelight spheres, hung there by a powerful mage. They drifted through the sky, bouncing off the walls lazily and gliding over the heads of guests. At the foot of the table farthest from the door was a small throne, seated for an older lady with greying red hair. Her features were stern, but wrinkled, when she met eyes with them. The party was led to the wall on the side of the table, and they were stopped there, backs against the cold stone. Jarl Laila rose from her chair.

As she rose, the sound in the halls dimmed. She raised a glass and regarded her new guests with cold fury. Raj felt as if she was looking directly at his teeth, so penetrating was her stare, but so unreadable. It seemed bitter, angry even, but something about her eyes was vague. All of the sudden, Raj felt a vague quality to the room as well. 

He instinctively scanned the room, his eyes glancing eyes with the prosperous members of the table. They all seemed far more focused, their sight like blades that sliced his eyelashes as he scanned past them. Then suddenly, his eyes glazed over, and he found himself at the end of the table, almost like he had forgotten what he was doing. He blinked. Should he try again? Should he try what again? The clearing of a throat brought his attention back to the Jarl. 

“Well? Are you Raj-Ei?” She said sternly, but her eyes weren’t on his, they were just over his shoulder. He felt something crawl on his back, but he knew there was nothing there.

“I am Raj-Ei?” He said “You’re the Jarl, Laila Law-Giver. You host a lavish party.” It was true. The food over the table looked wonderful, served on golden platters almost as much as the hospitality. He lost himself in thoughts of food and feast, raising mind to famine and crumbs. How long had he been standing there?

“You murdered Got.” She said. And the room went black. 

All Raj could see was the woman, looking him dead in the eyes. But it wasn’t her, it wasn’t Jarl Laila. It wasn’t a human, or even alive. It was Jei. Frozen in stone with a surprised look on his face. Why was this so familiar? The world around him burned, Anvil, and then Winterhold, and then Riften. Was it really this warm in the room?

A voice spoke in his head, but it reached past a veil of water and will that muddled it into a garbled drone. Raj felt a hint of panic. It rose, like he was gaining lucidity in the situation. The voice grew clearer. It was soft, and light. It told him of fortune and future. Destinies he had subscribed to. Each word was said and understood, but failed in context to the word before it. The voice grew louder, then it dimmed. 

“Raj!” Glenna barked, sharp and in dark spirit as the world cleared and he was in the throne room again. He looked around, and he noticed everyone else being brought back to some orientation as well. The Jarl herself blinked in surprise as the one voice cut through the fog. The magic was gone. 

“You idiot, she was asking you a question!” Glenna continued. “Respond!”

“I’m sorry, could you ask it again?” Raj said without thinking about who he was asking. “I mean, could you please say it again, Jarl Laila?”

The Jarl just blinked and met his gaze. The unreadable mask was all that was left was the vague face of someone who had forgot their keys at home. She shook her head and sat down, looking back at the party, which slowly and awkwardly recommenced. 

With a sigh, the guards shook their heads and walked over to unshackle the party’s hands. “You must forgive us,” they began, “her memory isn’t what it used to be.”

“She forgot us?”

“You’re free to go. We apologize for the way you were treated.”

Jei looked as puzzled as Raj felt. “Aren’t we wanted for crimes or something?”

“Perhaps. But probably not. You needn’t worry yourself any more.”

Glenna scoffed. “So this was nothing more than a waste of our time?”

“It seems. Now, be on your way. Free as you may be, you weren’t invited to this party, and it’s very exclusive.”

“So you’re just kicking us out without anything?” Jei heated up. “Not even a single reason you dragged us around or are letting us go.”

“You were needed once, and you aren’t needed now, boy. Watch your tongue before you’re thrown in the prisons to learn some manners.”

“Tolf, please.” A woman spoke from behind the guard, in a voice sweet and kind. She had dark hair and amber eyes, with a sickly shade of green running through them. There was short evidence of wrinkles, only the ones that would designate an avid smiler. She moved with a certain finesse that was to be expected from the table. What Raj didn’t expect was the hempen rope belt around her waist, lined with bottles containing dozens of small potions. She was an alchemist. 

“You can come with me. I’ll help you find a place to stay.” She smiled. “My name is Ingun.”

 

The sun fell slowly as they were treated to a lunch, fish and fresh fruit. By the time they had finished and cleaned up, the sky was awash with violets and golden hues that faded as the air became cold. Ingun was a delight to all, helping them pay for things and get around crowds. Everyone in town seemed to know her, and they all held her in a kind regard. She smiled as they waved, and bowed as they approached her. 

She took them to the temple, a fixture of the Goddess of Love, Mara. It was holed off in the stone walls and the industry and crowds of the rest of the town, and it was so warm. The courtyard was filled with trees and flowers, and torch sconces that now lit the space with the ticklish illumination. As they walked, they talked. Ingun had so many things to say. 

“You’ll have to excuse the guards. They grow exasperated with our Jarl, bless her, she’s lived so long. She isn’t the woman she used to be, especially since my mother died.”

“My condolences.” Raj offered, but she waved them off.

“It’s been a long time, and in that time, I’ve learned not to pity her. I’m the last person in my family alive to take control of the business, and only now do I understand the extent of corruption we operated under. My mother hoisted a criminal empire on her shoulders and used it to polish her shoes.” She shook her head. “But to Laila, she was a trusted friend, and a bringer of commerce to this fine city. When mother died, Laila became more and more withdrawn from her duties. Now, she’s a senile old husk, forcing herself to continue this job instead of retiring and living the rest of her life stress free with what little memory she has left.”

“Perhaps she doesn’t see her path of succession. Does she have any sons? Any daughters to take the claim of Jarl from her upon her death?” Glenna proposed.

Ingun smiled a bit, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes. “Actually, that’s no issue. True, her sons have their own duties far from home and hearth, but her successor is actually me. And she knows that.”

“Then why doesn’t she retire and relax?” Jei asked, a little sadness in his voice.

Ingun came to the temple doors and gave a swift knock. She seemed to ponder the question a bit, smelling in the sweet nectar of honeysuckle and nightshade. The night was clear, and the sky was illuminated as usual, giving Ingun’s face a rather skeletal quality. 

“There are some who go through their life without any true purpose. Everyone finds their place eventually, but Jarl Laila… She found hers too late. She clings to this calling of hers now more than ever, because without it, she doesn’t know what she is. Who she is.”

The silence hung in the air like stale dust as the temple door was opened by a large bearded man in a robe. He was Redguard, with a greying beard and rows of clean dreads. He looked upon the party with eyes of bright honey. 

“Maramel, these people have no place to stay, and the inns are full. Would you provide for them, please?”

The man bowed and beckoned them into the temple. 

“Thank you, Ingun.” Raj said. “If there’s any way we can repay you, you need only to ask.”

“It was my pleasure, Raj-Ei. Enjoy your stay, and come visit me next time you’re in town.”

Raj nodded, and watched Ingun walk on the cobblestone path back to the main drag of industry in the town, still alive with moving crowds and frazzled merchants. She didn’t once pause to second guess. She strode on, confidently and calmly. 

The party walked into the temple, and was instantly bathed with the sharp smell of rose and dragon tongue. The mahogany pews were empty, but the building felt like a hug from a friend. It embraced the party with orange walls and a statue of a weeping woman, easily distinguishable. In these walls, people found love or solidified it. And that energy, the spirit of love and patience and calmness and healing presided so strongly within the very boards of the floor to the wooden shingles of the roof. 

The priest, Maramal, silently gestured to other acolytes in the temple, and they sprang to life, producing warm blankets and moving the pews over to accommodate their sleeping quarters. Pitchers of water were placed around them, and Raj was offered a foot washing, which he declined in favour of doing it himself. The acolytes offered warm clothes, and the hospitality was so natural, that Raj didn’t at all feel strange slipping into them after he bathed himself in a private room. The night had fallen, and a certain weight touched his eyelids from walking so far in one night, so debilitated early the last morning, and so pristine now. He would sleep on a sleeping bag, swaddled in furs and fed with warm food. He would awaken and be attended to so promptly that he would feel like he was imposing, but he wouldn’t be. 

He knew the feeling all too well, of being in a temple of Mara. It was like love was everywhere. For everyone, the poorest beggar or the richest miser. 

He left his private room, clothed in a leather tunic with matching pants, the fur of a wolf hanging over his shoulder. He kept his bracers on, the comfort they brought him was too much to be put away, but he cleaned them, and washed his scales underneath. He felt like a new man. 

Raj didn’t expect the hooded figure leaning over in front of the statue of Mara, deep in prayer. He also didn’t expect to recognize the face so clearly as Isandre. 

“Isandre? What are you doing here? How did you get here? Weren’t you with us when we were arrested at the city gates?”

“No, Raj.” She said silently into her hands. “I slipped of as soon as the guards began questioning you, and I came here.”

Raj looked at her, for a solid minute, until she finished her prayer. As she stood, her face betrayed more emotion than sass, more hollowness than jovial maternity. It shocked Raj. 

“I’m sorry.” She breathed. “I had to visit, and perform a ritual I’ve been so sorely neglecting. One that will give me the strength to do what I must do next.”

“What’s that? Are you okay?”

Isandre nodded. “I am fine. My husband died in this city only a few decades ago. I hoped to perform a ritual in his honor, one that will help the mission ahead.”

Raj put his hand on her shoulder, and for the first time, he realized how fragile she felt. But she didn’t lean into his gesture or shrink from it. She stood as he did. 

“I understand.” He said. “You honor him, you know. You’re a brave woman, going on a journey like this.”

She chuckled a bit. “It’s not quite bravery as much as it is… obsession.” She looked up to meet Raj’s eyes. “My husband was killed in the first wave of returning Dragon attacks. I want to see a dragon with my own two eyes. I want to know how he felt near one, and I want to come to peace with him being stripped away from me like this.”

“And you will.” Raj assured her. “I promise.”

Isandre slid into his opening arms, and the two embraced in the hall of Mara. Isandre cried no tears, but steadied herself on the pillar that was her friend. 

The moving of clothing and the opening of doors signaled the return of Jei and Glenna. The released their embrace, and headed to their allotted bedrolls. Raj was joined by Jei on the left side of the room, in their own pocket in the pews, while Glenna and Isandre found their own on the right side of the room. Raj held all he had heard in his heart. He sat up in his roll, tired but contemplative. 

“What’s on your mind?” Jei whispered from his small but impressive pile of furs. 

“I just… It’s just been a weird day.” He said. 

“I’ll say. But we covered a good chunk of ground, didn’t we?”

Raj shrugged. “I just feel like I’m missing out on some things. I feel like this quest is going too fast for it to really be thorough or mean something.”

Jei perked up in his small cocoon and looked at Raj quizzically. “And here I thought we were going too slow, honestly. We seem to be spending a fair amount of time smelling the flowers.”

Raj laughed. “We’re only five days in to a twelve day quest, Jei. And we’ve barely even begun to slow down. We haven’t fought anything too noteworthy but some weird brothers. This is barely a quest, it’s just a bad pilgrimage.”

“So you’re saying we’re not in enough danger? That’s rich coming from the guy whose throat was cheesecloth 24 hours ago.”

Raj shrugged. “I love questing.”

“I could tell, but don’t you think you should end this one as fast as possible? We haven’t got the time to delay.”

“Would you rather have left your necklace with those madmen?”

Jei fell silent. He slumped back into his furs, and Raj finally did so himself. Warmth filled his body from his toes to the tip of his chin. 

“I don’t see why it was so important to you all.” He whispered. “It’s just a silly necklace.”

“It was your necklace, and you wanted it back. So we got it for you. Would you rather have left it behind?

“I just don’t see why I’m worth all the trouble.” Jei whimpered. 

Raj slid closer to the boy, and snuggled his sleeping bag against the younger man’s. “Of course you’re worth the trouble, Jei. You’re part of the crew.”

Jei looked off to the side. The floorboards were apparently very interesting to him all of the sudden. 

“And don’t think I forgot about your brother.”

Jei’s face turned to his, as unreadable as a blank book. He seemed to be surprised, grateful, and fearful all at the same time. 

“Do you mind me asking what he is like?”

Jei sat up a bit, his eyes misty. “He’s not like you or me. He’s Imperial, with a special necklace his parents gave him. He was a learner, always looking for ways to take on new skills. And he was a lover. He always helped me when I fell or when our parents hi-”

He stopped. “When they punished me.”

Jei rolled over, but instead of running away from Raj with this gesture, he slid safely into Raj’s body, the small tuft of feathers on his head tickling Raj’s horned chin.

“I always have this dream that we get back together with so much money, it makes our parents look poor. We buy their house and I kick them down the stairs, and we live together. We take jobs being adventurers and writing books about our tales. We relish each others company.” Raj felt jei’s body shudder against him. “I miss him.”

Raj reached his arms around the boy, nestling himself even closer into his embrace. They laid there for several minutes as Jei cried and Raj comforted him. Their hearts beat as one. The fire burned softly. The wind blew the trees outside the temple of Mara. And dreams crossed lips and drifted through the sweet smelling air.

Raj held this last piece of his crew in his mind. Far flung from each other, but they all had experienced loss. Raj grasped the faint straw that he could correct this one. He didn’t do it for himself. He did it for a scared boy in a tower, alone in the world and afraid of a man with a sword. 

“I’ll help you find him.” Raj promised. “And I’ll do everything in my power to make sure your dream comes true.”

“You promise?”

The lights in the temple dimmed, but Raj didn’t hesitate for them to go dark. He whispered in Jei’s ear.

“I promise. “

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Kamil and Will for beta reading and showering me with critique and praise  
> Thanks to me for moving on with things and moving forward with others  
> Thanks to Todd Howard for selling me Skyrim 11: Soldier 76's Wild Nightmare.  
> and a Special Thanks to Griffin McElroy. I make this joke, but TAZ changed my life.


End file.
